An oil tanker which ran aground on the coast of China exploded when crewmen set off a distress flare, state media reported on today.
Two crew members were missing and eight were seriously injured in the blast on southern China's Guangdong coastline, Xinhua news agency said.
The vessel, which was travelling south from Nanjing, a port on the Yangtze River, to the provincial capital Guangzhou was trying to shelter from an approaching typhoon when it ran aground on rocks early Wednesday.
The captain and 15 seamen abandoned ship and lit a distress fare which ignited leaking oil. The tanker then caught fire and exploded, forcing the rest of the crew to jump into the sea.
Fourteen seamen were rescued but two are still missing. The eight injured were being treated for burns at a nearby hospital.
AFP