A gas explosion at a shipyard here in the southwestern part of the country killed at least two and injured nine on Wednesday, local police said.

The explosion, whose cause has not yet been determined, occurred at 8:09 a.m. at the shipyard inside the Daebul Industrial Complex in Yeongam, about 400 kilometers south of Seoul, police added.

They said two unidentified workers were killed and nine others sustained injuries. Rescue workers said a dozen workers were inside a ship for block assembly work at the time of explosion, and that one worker remained unaccounted for after their search.

Shipyard employees who were near the scene have testified that they smelled gas in the area, police said. (Yonhap News)