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Helicopter deployment (symbol photo)
Photo: Marko Beric / PantherMedia
There was an explosion on an oil tanker in waters around 300 kilometers east of the Hong Kong coast on Saturday afternoon.
This was confirmed by the Hong Kong Sea Rescue Coordination Center (HKMRCC) to the AP news agency.
A fire broke out after the explosion.
It has since been deleted, the public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) reported.
One person was killed and seven others injured in the explosion.
Four of the injured are in critical condition, according to RTHK.
The State Air Service dispatched two helicopters with doctors on board to transport the injured to a hospital in the city.
According to the online database MarineTraffic, the oil tanker is the 22-year-old Panama-registered ship Chuang Yi, which was en route to Taiwan.
5500 tons of oil and chemicals are said to have been loaded on board.
The cause of the explosion is not yet clear.
atb/AP/dpa
