Huge tanker blast sparks fire injuring 12 in South Korea

A huge blast on an oil tanker in a South Korean port sparked a raging fire that spread to a nearby vessel on Saturday, leaving 12 sailors injured authorities said.

A ball of fire shot up high above the ship and thick black smoke billowed into the air.

Firefighters struggled to contain the blaze, shooting streams of water up onto the deck from beside the vessel.

All 25 of those on board the Cayman islands-flagged tanker and the 21 people on the second ship have been rescued according to the Coast Guard, adding an investigation has been launched into the incident.

Fire officials told AFP 12 people were injured. One is in a critical condition with third-degree burns, authorities said.

Nine of the injured are from South Korea, while the nationality of the others is not yet known.

It was not immediately clear whether the injured were on board the tanker or the second ship that later caught fire.