A man has been airlifted to hospital after an explosion on a merchant ship.

Emergency services were sent to Sheerness Docks last night following the blast which injured a crew member.

The 5,000-tonne vessel called Cemisle had moored at the Isle of Sheppey after making a trip from the Netherlands.

Fire crews, paramedics and Sheppey Coastguard were all at the scene from around 7.30pm.

Ten engines and a height vehicle attended and crews wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the flames in the engine ship room.

Firefighters carried out checks on the 120-metre-long cement carrier’s ship compartments for further fire or explosion risk and set up a water pump.

They left at 2.40am this morning.

Meanwhile, Sheerness RNLI volunteers on the all-weather lifeboat Judith Copping Joyce were also sent to the docks.

It launched at 9.20pm after being tasked to provide safety cover.

The crew was stood down at 11.20pm.

KentOnline has approached the Marine Accident Investigation Branch for further information and SECAmb for details on the condition of the crew member.