Tamar Carrier Ship Explosion Off Cape Cod: 2 Dead, 2 Rescued

BOSTON, MA — An explosion aboard a huge bulk carrier ship halfway across the Atlantic Ocean Monday morning killed two crew members and seriously burned two more, according to the Coast Guard. The explosion happened aboard the 623-foot Tamar at about 7 a.m. when the ship was 1,300 miles off Cape Cod — halfway to its destination in Portugal, the Coast Guard said. (Subscribe to Cape Cod news alerts — Barnstable, Falmouth and Martha's Vineyard — for updates on this story and more breaking news. iPhone/iPad users: download the new Patch app.)

The explosion happened in the ship's forward storeroom and crew members were able to extinguish the fire, according to the Coast Guard. One crew member died moments after the explosion; another who was seriously burned succumbed later that night, officials said.

Boston Coast Guard officials coordinated a rescue response involving vessels from the United States, Canada and Portugal. The New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing launched an HC-130 aircrew with pararescuers to meet up with the tanker.

"Pararescuers arrived on board the Tamar at about 9:30 p.m. (Monday), after deploying from their HC-130 with two small boats and advanced life-saving equipment," the Coast Guard said in a statement. "They are staying with the ship until higher medical authority can take over care of the injured crew."

The two blast survivors were medevaced by a Portuguese aircrew Wednesday and arrived in the Azores in Portugal for more medical treatment.

The tanker recently departed Baltimore, Maryland en route to the Azores in Portugal. The Tamar is based out of the Marshall Islands.

This is the approximate location of the Tamar when the explosion happened:

Photo: A tanker ship similar to the Tamar. (Credit: Jennifer C./Flickr)