The badly-damaged boat after the explosion in Sanya port, Hainan province, on Wednesday, March 21, 2007. [Photo: chinanews.com.cn]

Two fishermen were injured when a big fishing boat suddenly exploded in Sanya, a port city in island province of Hainan on Wednesday morning.

According to local reports, a total of seven crews were on board when the boat's explosion rocked the pier where it docked. Two injured include a captain. The reports say one is still in critical condition, but did not specify whether the one seriously injured is the captain.

Police, firefighters and marine rescue teams were rushed to the spot minutes after the blast but took almost half an hour to bring the rampant fire under control.

Mr Wang, one of the safe crew members, explained afterwards that the explosion occurred when some of them were welding the boat's boiler and the welding sparks accidentally ignited the over 10 ton fuel stored on the boat. They failed to control the fire on site.