ISTANBUL

At least 10 people were killed on Wednesday and dozens were injured after an oil tanker under maintenance caught fire in Indonesia’s Riau Islands province, Jakarta Globe reported.

The fire broke out at MT Federal II, a tanker undergoing maintenance work at a shipyard in the city of Batam, which is nearly 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) away from Singapore by sea.

Fire and rescue teams, as well as police, rushed to the scene to rescue the victims inside the vessel and extinguish the flames.

Local police chief Asep Syafrudin said that as of Wednesday afternoon, 10 workers were confirmed dead and 18 others were critically injured.

“The cause of the explosion is still under investigation,” Asep told reporters, adding that the local authorities were conducting a detailed examination at the site.

Officials have not yet identified the cause of the explosion, which produced thick columns of smoke over the industrial area in western Batam.

The victims were employees of ASL Shipyard, one of the region’s major shipbuilding and repair companies, while the injured have been transported to multiple hospitals across Batam.

Wednesday’s blaze was the second deadly accident this year involving the vessel Federal II at the same shipyard. A previous incident in late June claimed the lives of four workers.