South Korean shipbuilder STX Offshore & Shipbuilding has been ordered to cease operations following a fatal blast at the company’s Changwon yard that took the lives of four workers two days ago.
The order was issued by the country’s Ministry of Employment and Labor, Yonhap news agency reported.
The work-stoppage comes as an investigation into the cause of the incident gains pace, with officials from the Korean Coast Guard, Forensic Service and Labor Ministry scrutinizing the insides of the 74,000-ton tanker for clues.
Initial reports indicate that a spark might have caused the blast originating from either an installed light inside the tank of the vessel or a damaged cable connected to a light or ventilator, the Korea Times informed.
To remind, the incident occurred on an oil tanker under construction at the yard in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province around 11:30 am local time on August 20.
At the time, the workers, in their 30s to 50s, were spray-painting inside the tanker, which is reportedly being constructed for a Greek shipping company and had been scheduled for delivery in October.
The incident took place just as the shipbuilder exited court-receivership amid financial recovery and new orders.
World Maritime News Staff