Navy vessel explosion injures six people, one of them critically
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SAN DIEGO -- An explosion in the hull of a dry-docked Navy vessel Saturday left six people injured, one of them critically, a fire official said.
The Lake Champlain was undergoing routine maintenance in a shipyard at about noon when the explosion in its fuel tank occurred, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque.
One worker suffered life-threatening burns and was taken to UC San Diego Medical Center, Luque said.
Three other workers with less serious injuries were hospitalized, while two more were treated at the scene and released, Luque said. The identities of the injured workers were not released.
Luque said it appears fumes or gases in the tank ignited, but an investigation into the cause of the explosion was ongoing. State safety officials were also investigating the incident.
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