TWO people were seriously injured after a gas cylinder exploded on a ship docked at Foynes Port this Tuesday night.
One person was airlifted to Cork University Hospital with a serious head injury, the second was transferred by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick suffering with a chest injury.
It’s understood the two men were carrying out routine service testing of equipment on board the ship when a gas cylinder exploded.
The ship, which remained moored at the County Limerick port, is not thought to have sustained any damage.
Gardaí and emergency services, including fire and rescue units and HSE paramedics, responded as part of a major emergency response to a serious incident.
The Cork Air Ambulance, officially known as the HSE Air Ambulance, emergency medical helicopter, based at Rathcoole, County Cork, landed at the port around 8.15pm and ferried one casualty to Cork University Hospital.
Locals reported seeing emergency service personnel responding in and around the Bow Hercules, a 2017 built oil/chemical tanker following the incident.
The 182.73m long x 32m wide 26,364-tonne vessel sails under the Norwegian flag.
A spokesman for the Shannon Foynes Port Company, which operates the deep water port at Foynes, issued a statement to confirm that “two men have been hospitalised following an accident on board a ship this evening at Foynes Port”.
“The cause of the accident is being investigated by the relevant authorities, while the matter on board the ship has made safe, with the port due to resume operations tonight.”
A Garda spokeswoman said Gardaí attended the scene “following a report of an incident on a ship in Foynes Port, Limerick, shortly before 7pm”.
“Gardaí are assisting ambulance services at scene and dealing with a number of injuries.
“There are no further details at this time,” the spokeswoman said.
