Investigators are examining several areas in last Saturday’s explosion on board the Captain Lloyd 97 fishing trawler in the Atlantic, which left several persons nursing burns while the vessel’s captain remains missing.

According to a source at the Agriculture Ministry, the relevant agencies under the umbrella of the ministry are examining several areas to determine the cause of the explosion, among them being whether any procedure regarding to operation of the vessel was breached.

When the investigations are completed, a report is expected to be submitted to the subject Minister but it is unclear within what timeframe this will be done. The  owners of the vessel, Pritipaul Singh Investment, has remained media shy since the incident occurred though relatives of the three hospitalized members of the 5–member crew  say that company officials have been keeping in touch with them.

A search team’s efforts, which included aerial surveys, was unsuccessful yesterday after the team ventured out in search of 47-year old Delbert Williams, the vessel’s captain. The team has reportedly downgraded its exercises to a search operation.

George Fitzpatrick and Orlon Munroe are patients at the Burn Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital nursing severe burns to their bodies while Leslie Keith Adams, a patient of the Male Open Ward is nursing minor burns to parts of his body. The men are recovering slowly, their relatives noted yesterday, with Adams being expected to be discharged shortly from the hospital. Elvis Todd, another crew member, escaped the ordeal without injuries.

The men were on a voyage which was expected to last for several weeks when tragedy struck.

Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud has since ordered a full investigation into the incident which occurred several miles off the Waini Coast in the North West District.