A floating crane was deployed on Saturday to salvage a huge metal sheet from the bottom of the Mae Klong River in Samut Songkhram Province, following the explosion of an oil tanker at a dockyard in Mueang district.

A shipping company official said that it took about two hours to lift the steel sheet, which is 14m long and 8m wide and was part of the oil tanker Smooth Sea 22, from the bottom of the river, adding that several other metal sheets are still underwater.

A buoy has been anchored in the river to warn other vessels of the presence of metal sheets below the surface, while the Marine Department has advised fishing vessels to avoid the area.

The oil tanker caught fire and exploded as it was undergoing maintenance at the Ruam Mitr dockyard. Eight workers were killed.