ZHUHAI - Firemen have put out a blaze and three people have been rescued after an explosion on an oil tanker docked at a South China port on Monday afternoon, according to local maritime authorities.

Only one person was slightly injured when the fire was eventually extinguished at about 4:20 pm on the tanker at Xiangzhou bay of Zhuhai city, said Wu Yun, a spokesman for the city's maritime and fishing authorities.

He said investigators were still probing the cause of the blast, which also caused a spill, although most of the floating fuel had been consumed by the fire.

The fire was so fierce that thick black smoke could be seen from afar. At one point, maritime authorities ordered some of the hundreds of vessels docked at Xiangzhou bay to evacuate.