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Photo: EASTERN FIRE VOLUNTEER CLUB/HANDOUT/EPA
An oil tanker exploded on the Mae Klong River in central Thailand.
The accident happened on Tuesday morning (local time) during maintenance work while the ship was docked in Samut Songkhram province, the fire department said on Twitter.
The Mae Klong flows into the Gulf of Thailand there.
Eight port workers were missing, the newspaper Bangkok Post reported, citing the authorities.
Photos and videos showed thick columns of smoke rising from the tanker.
The 113-meter-long "Smooth Sea 22" was reportedly not loaded with crude oil.
The explosion could be heard miles away.
Windows were shattered in surrounding areas, it said.
Firefighters brought the fire under control after about an hour.
The authorities initiated investigations into the cause of the accident.
wit/dpa