SEOUL: South Korean authorities have said that at least six Samsung workers building a $500 million ocean platform for French energy giant Total were killed in a shipyard crane accident.

“Two cranes collided at the shipyard in the southeastern port of Geoje, causing a 60-metre, 32-tonne crane section to break and crash onto a workers´ rest area below,” a police official told reporters on the scene.

25 workers were injured in what the police official described as “chaotic” scenes.

“All those involved were working on the Total project, which was ordered in December 2012 and is destined for its Martin Linge field off Norway,” he added.

The shipyard is operated by Samsung Heavy Industries, part of the sprawling Samsung Group, South Korea´s largest conglomerate.

Park Dae-Young, president of Samsung Heavy Industries, said he “sincerely apologised” to the victims and their families and promised to provide full support to those affected.

“We will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and take responsibility,” Park said in a statement.