Sailor died of multiple injuries in boiler room blast

The explosion happened in the boiler room of the Manhattan Bridge container ship

A sailor killed by a steam blast aboard a container ship died of multiple injuries, an inquest has heard.

Celso Banas, 35, from the Philippines, was working on the Manhattan Bridge at Felixstowe Port when he died in January.

A second man was reportedly severely burned in the explosion in the ship's boiler room.

An investigation involving Suffolk Police and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is ongoing.

The Japanese container ship had been docking at the Trinity Terminal just before midnight on 19 January when the explosion happened.

At the time, the ship's owners 'K' Line Europe said a "boiler back-fire" happened while the vessel was berthing.

Witnesses described hearing the blast up to 10 miles away.

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Assistant Suffolk coroner Kevin McCarthy said: "At some point during his shift he was working in the boiler room when an explosion of steam caused debris to fly all over the place and Mr Banas was struck by debris."

A post-mortem examination gave the medical cause of death as multiple injuries.

Mr McCarthy asked that his "sincere and heartfelt condolences" were sent to the family of Mr Banas in the Philippines.

The full inquest will take place in July.

Celso Banas died in a boiler room explosion on the Manhattan Bridge container ship