The Panama-registered oil tanker, the Tradewind Sunrise exploded mysteriously and burst into flame off Reina point near Trinidad. The explosion left a gaping hole and oil spilled in the surrounding waters. The tanker was moored for repairs for over a month at the Inter-Island Construction facility in Chaguaramas, and was not loaded with oil at the time; the cause of the explosion is unknown. Investigators are set to determine whether international standards for a gas-free environment were upheld. At least four of the 26 crewmembers, taken from Trinidad’s Inter-Island Construction Limited, are believed to have died, as a result of Coast Guard helicopters having to stay away from the intense heat, and lacking the equipment to combat such a blaze. Most escaped in lifeboats.