16-hour fire on oil tanker in Dawei claims 8 lives, leaves 1 missing and 3 injured
A fire that lasted over 16 hours on an oil tanker in Dawei resulted in eight deaths, three injuries, and one missing person, according to a statement from the Dawei Fire Services Department.
The fire occurred around 4:30 p.m. on October 14 at the Michili Oil Tanker located in the Jetty area of Strand Road, Kyat Sar Pyin ward in Dawei.
Seven men and one woman were killed in the fire, while two men and one woman were injured. One man remains missing, as confirmed by the Dawei Fire Services Department.
The fire broke out while fuel was being transferred from the tanker to the B29 fuel storage tank, which measures about 240 feet in length, 24 feet in width, and 9 feet in height. The cause of the fire has been linked to this process, according to a security source.
The source added that 50,000 litres of diesel and 50,000 litres of gasoline on board the tanker were destroyed in the fire.
As the tanker was carrying fuel, the firefighting effort, which began in the afternoon of October 14, continued until the morning of October 15, according to a representative from a local social assistance organization.
“Since it was a fuel-carrying vessel, the fire started in the afternoon and took all night to extinguish. It was finally put out this morning. Unfortunately, eight people have died. Four others were taken to Dawei People’s Hospital, and one man is still missing. The fire did not spread to other areas—only the tanker caught fire,” said the representative.
The fire was overseen by the Minister of Border Affairs, with leadership from the deputy chief of the Fire Services Department of Taninthayi Region. Firefighters from the district, backup fire units, security forces, Red Cross teams, social assistance groups, and residents worked together to extinguish the fire using 12 fire engines and foam. The fire was successfully put out by around 9 a.m. on October 15.
Eleven Media
Asia News Network
