One person has died and four others were injured Monday afternoon following an explosion onboard a chemical tanker near the Tuzla Shipyard in Istanbul, Turkey. A statement from the Turkish Directorate General of Coastal Safety (DGCS) said that the blast occurred in the starboard side of the Turkish-flagged tanker Tibil at about 13:24 local time. The explosion tore a two meter hole in the ship’s hull, causing the ship to list heavily to starboard. All 19 crewmembers were evacuated following the explosion, but an update from the DGCS said that four people were injured and another person had died. The ship is being assisted by at least one tug and is not believed to be in danger of sinking at this point, the DCGS said. The 6,275 DWT Tibil was not carrying any cargo when the blast occurred.
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One Dead, Four Injured in Istanbul Tanker Blast