Two Filipino engineers injured in ship explosion

The Happy Dragon (Photo from vesselfinder.com)

PORTLAND, UK — Two unidentified Filipino crewmen were injured by an explosion on board the Netherland-based cargo ship Happy Dragon in early September.

Both crewmen, who worked as engineers on board the vessel, sustained facial injuries when an air pipe exploded. The wounded men were then airlifted from the ship’s location 35 miles south of Portland to Dorset County Hospital.

The accident, which took place before 10.30 a.m. on September 4, left the crewmen with severe but not life-threatening facial injuries, the Seafarer Times and Dorset Echo reported.

A spokesman for Portland Coastguard made the following statement: : “We were informed of an explosion on board a ship approximately 35 miles south west of Portland Bill by the French Coastguards. Unfortunately, the Portland Rescue Helicopter was in service so we requested the help of the helicopter from Lee-on-Solent and they went to the ship. Two men on board, engineers from the Philippines, suffered fairly serious facial injuries and had to be airlifted to Dorset County Hospital for treatment. It is believed the explosion was an air pipe explosion.”

The Happy Dragon, which is owned by a Dutch firm, was en route from Aberdeen to Trieste in Italy.