ANKARA

At least eight workers have been missing after an oil tanker caught fire and exploded at a dockyard in central Thailand on Tuesday, local media reported.

The empty tanker was undergoing regular maintenance at Ruammitr Dockyard on the Mae Klong river in Muang district, Kanchanaburi province, when it caught fire and exploded, according to the local Bangkok Post.

The explosion also caused damage to nearby houses because it was heard and felt for several kilometers.

Later, officials from the Marine Department said the fire had been extinguished. However, eight workers are still missing, they said, adding that the search for workers is ongoing.

An official investigation into the incident has been launched, according to the newspaper.