An explosion on an oil tanker in Hong Kong on Tuesday killed one crew member and left two others missing at sea, fire officials said.
The Vietnam-registered tanker burst into flames just before 11:30 a.m. as it prepared to refuel at an anchorage off the city's southern coast, authorities said.
The force of the blast left the 140-meter (460-foot) -long tanker at an angle and threw its 25-member crew into the water, they said at a news conference. The refueling barge was destroyed.
In this photo released by Hong Kong Police, dense, black smoke billows from an oil and chemical tanker after catching fire off the south of Lamma island of Hong Kong, Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019. (Hong Kong Police via AP)
One crew member was pronounced dead at the scene and seven others were injured.
The source of the blaze appeared to be the cargo hold, the fire officials said. The vessel, en route to its home port in Thailand, was largely empty.
A search was underway for the missing.
In this photo released by Hong Kong Government Flying Service, black smoke billows from an oil tanker after catching fire off southern Lamma island of Hong Kong, Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019. Hong Kong fire officials say an oil-tanker explosion has killed one person and left three missing at sea. Authorities said Tuesday that a Vietnam-registered oil tanker burst into flames about 11:30 a.m. as it prepared to refuel at an anchorage off Hong Kong's southern coast. (Hong Kong Government Flying Service via AP)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has for now denied the A's request to trademark the names “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics.”
The club, which intends to move to Nevada in 2028, has three months from when the refusals were issued Dec. 29 to ask for an extension to file a new application within a six-month period.
The A's were told the nickname “Athletics” was too generic and could be confused with other activities even if associated with Las Vegas.
That, however, has been the club's nickname since the Philadelphia Athletics began playing in 1901. The A's kept the nickname when they moved to Kansas City in 1955 and Oakland in 1968.
The Patent and Trademark Office denied the NHL's Utah team to use the nickname “Yetis” on Jan. 9 because of potential confusion with companies such as Yeti Coolers. Utah, which moved from the Phoenix area in 2024, now uses the nickname “Mammoth.”
The A's relocated to West Sacramento, California, last year to play the first of three planned seasons in the city's Triple-A ballpark. The team is going solely by “Athletics” while playing in the Northern California city.
A $2 billion, 33,000-capacity stadium on the Las Vegas Strip is under construction. Club officials told the Las Vegas Stadium Authority on Dec. 4 that the ballpark is on schedule to open in time for the 2028 season.
Nevada and Clark County have approved up to $380 million in public funds for the ballpark, and the A’s have said they will cover the remaining expenses. Owner John Fisher has been seeking investors to assist in the funding.
In preparing for the move to Las Vegas, the A's have signed some notable contracts. The most recent was an $86 million, seven-year deal for left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, the richest in team history. Soderstrom signed his contract Dec. 30 at the A's Experience Center in Las Vegas.
The A's acquired second baseman Jeff McNeil from the New York Mets on Dec. 22.
Going back to last offseason, the A's also reached agreements on a $60 million, five-year contract with designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker and a $65.5 million, seven-year deal with outfielder Lawrence Butler. Manager Mark Kotsay signed an extension that takes him through 2028 with a club option for 2029.
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FILE - Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom sprints towards first after hitting an RBI double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Sept. 23, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall, File)
