Death toll likely to rise
The Straits Times, Oct 13, 1978
Greek tanker, Spyros, exploded at Jurong Shipyard in 1978. It remains Singapore's worst industrial accident, killing 76.
FORTY-EIGHT people were killed and nearly 100 injured, most of them seriously, in an explosion and fire on board the Greek tanker Spyros at Jurong Shipyard yesterday -- the worst disaster, in terms of lives lost, in Singapore's post-war history.
The death toll is expected to rise as rescue workers were still going into the ship's engine and boiler rooms early this morning to search for missing workers.
Doctors at Alexandra Hospital where 50 of the injured are warded and at Singapore General Hospital which has 48 of the injured on its list, are working round the clock to save lives.
A number of the dead and injured are women.
Most of those warded suffered serious burns and their condition has been described as critical. Others, including four firemen, were overcome by toxic gases or suffered shock.
The explosion took place at about 2.15 pm shortly after about 150 workers, including women, went into the engine and boiler rooms of the 35,600-tonne Liberian-registered vessel at the end of their lunch break for repair and cleaning work.
It is also believed that a number of the ship's 32 crew were also on board.
According to eye-witnesses, the blast flung debris as far as 100 metres away and a huge chunk landed on another ship Trade Fortitude, injuring two people on board.
Soon after the blast, a flash fire broke out in the Spyros holds and dockside workers who rushed to the ship to help those trapped inside were kept back by the flames.
Eight fire engines and ambulances rushed to the scene and after the fire was doused, rescue workers poured into the ship to help the injured and remove the dead.
Those who died instantly, perhaps mercifully, were saved the agony of a lingering death like many who suffered severe burns and died on reaching the hospital.
The injured were ferried to hospital in ambulances and helicopters.
The Spyros, which arrived here last Friday, docked at Jurong Shipyard on Sunday for major repairs.
The explosion on board, shortly after dockside workers had returned from lunch, was followed by a flash fire that swept the engine and boiler rooms.
Minutes later, an extensive rescue operation swung into action, involving the police, military and medical services. All hospitals were alerted to be on stand-by for casualties.
Dockside workers who went on board the Spyros in the hope of helping the injured were driven back by the fire and the scorching plates of the ship under them.
Soon afterwards, a steady stream of ambulances arrived and waited along the quay as firemen from eight fire engines battled the blaze. Fire-fighting tugboats also fought the fire from the sea.
The Army Bomb Disposal Unit, the CID's Special Investigation Section and Scene of Crime Unit were also at the scene.
The fire was put out within minutes and the first of the rescue teams entered the engine room, now flooded by oil and water, to bring out the injured.
As ambulances ferried the injured and dying to Alexandra and Singapore General Hospitals, police hearses also moved in.
Pressmen who had gathered outside the shipyard's gates were prevented from entering and the death toll and casualty figures could only be guessed at.
However, by about 4 pm, details of the tragedy had trickled out, mostly from shipyard workers who were working near the Spyros.
(The final death toll numbered 76.)
Oct 13, 1978
By Lee Thian Soo
Reporter Lee Thian Soo gave an account of what the atmosphere was like at Jurong Shipyard.
AFTER the explosion, the atmosphere at the shipyard was grim as, slowly, rescue workers began to realise the magnitude of the disaster.
I stood only 10 metres from the Spyros and could clearly see the charred bodies lying on the quay beside the tanker.
At one stage, there were 17 bodies, all covered with grease and burn marks. Green canvas cloth and cardboard had been used as shrouds to cover them.
Standing in clusters around them were their colleagues – their faces showing obvious signs of shock and grief, even a trace of fear as if they had suddenly become aware of the danger that went with their jobs.
A police inspector, wearing gloves, was examining the bodies. As he lifted the canvas shrouds, other shipyard workers gathered around him. Cries of recognition went up as they called out the names of the dead.
On a small table nearby were belongings of the victims.
Just above were the giant arms of a five-tonne crane, carrying rescue workers still busily engaged in trying to locate the unknown number of dead and injured in the bowels of the 35,000-tonne tanker.
Earlier on, the crane had been used to rescue the luckier workers who survived the explosion.
Workers in brown overalls, police officers, army personnel and firemen shuffled on the deck of the ship.
Shock
The Greek captain of the Spyros and eight of his men stood in a group on the wharf near the bow of the ship with some of their belongings.
The captain appeared to be in a severe state of shock. At least 10 of his crew members are believed to have perished in the tragedy.
All about the wharf were policemen, firemen and medical personnel. No less than 10 ambulances, fire engines and police vans stood by.
Most people involved in the rescue work I approached appeared vague about the magnitude of the disaster. They said they had lost count.
Less than two hours later, they were to learn that the Spyros disaster was to go down in history as Singapore's worst.
In the words of one rescue worker: "How can this be possible with all these talks about safety first?"
Copyright © 1998 Singapore Press Holdings. All Rights Reserved.
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