TWO cruise passengers were left high and dry when a Southampton-based ship was forced to leave port immediately to escape an exploding fuel tank.

Thirteen people on board Independence of the Seas were injured when a dockside oil tank blew up in Gibraltar while the vessel was alongside.

They sustained injuries ranging from minor burns to a fractured shoulder. All were treated in the ship’s hospital.

Then to keep a safe distance from the scene of the accident, the ship’s captain decided to pull up the gangway.

The ship, which was on a 14-night cruise, then continued on its way – leaving behind two of its passengers, who were on land at the time of the explosion.

The blast sent plumes of black smoke belching into the air, and seriously injured two Spanish workmen.

A spokesman for cruise operator Royal Caribbean International said last night: “Two guests were still ashore when the incident took place, were not injured during the explosion and will rejoin the ship in Cannes in France or Monte Carlo.

“We are assisting these guests with their travel arrangements and our care team is providing support and assistance to our guests onboard.”

The incident happened on Tuesday at 3.37pm as workmen welded the tank.

A Spaniard who was on top suffered life-threatening burns and was scheduled to be transferred to a burn unit at a hospital in the Spanish city of Seville, Gibraltar's government said in a statement. A second Spaniard suffered less serious injuries.

Independence of the Seas is currently on a 14-night cruise that departed Southampton on Saturday(MAY 28) with 3,892 British passengers on board.