[Update] Two Dead in Bulk Carrier Explosion
At approximately 7:45 p.m., Monday, the captain of the bulk carrier Tamar reported that a second crewmember was killed from an onboard explosion.
The New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing pararescuers arrived on board the Tamar at about 9:30 p.m., after deploying from their HC-130 with two small boats and advanced life-saving equipment. They are staying with the ship until higher medical authority can take over care of the injured crew.
The Portuguese Coast Guard are scheduled to launch a helicopter and pick up the injured crew members and bring them to Ponta Delgada. They are expected to be within range of the Azores, Portugal within 24 hours.
Earlier Monday morning, the captain of the Marshall Islands-flagged 623-foot bulk carrier Tamar contacted watchstanders at the Coast Guard command center reporting an explosion in the ship’s forward storeroom. He also reported the explosion killed one crewmember and three suffered massive burns and are in need of immediate medical attention.