At least two people were killed by an explosion and fire onboard the inland tanker Julius Rütgers at the Duisburg shipyard this morning.
The two workers died while loading the tanker, according to local media reports. A search operation is reportedly underway to find a missing third employee and any other victims. The operation has involved 50 rescue vehicles and one police helicopter.
The explosion is believed to have come from at least one of the vessel’s cargo tanks, which were empty at the time of the explosion. A leftover gas mixture in the tanks is thought to have ignited and caused the blast. The fire has since been extinguished.
