A ro-ro car carrier alliance ship remains adrift after it allegedly caught fire due to a short circuit in its engine room.
What happened?
The car carrier Alliance named St Louis caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico about 130 nautical miles southwest off southern tip of Mississippi Delta.
The vessel caught fire in its engine room due to an electrical short circuit. The crew onboard the ship reacted immediately and put out the flames.
However the vessel remains adrift without propulsion power.
The car carrier Alliance St Louis was operating on emergency back-up power, which provides only minimum crew requirements.
The vessel was adrift in moderate seas without immediate danger for seaworthiness.
Fortunately no crew members were injured or pollution was reported.
Salvage operations initiated:
The accident was reported to the local authorities and US Coast Guard, which has initiated salvage operations.
A tug Mariya Moran which was nearby approached the disabled vessel and remained close in case of emergency.
The US Coast Guard dispatched another named tug Crosby Endeavor, which will take the car carrier Alliance St Louis under tow to Port Arthur, Texas.
The local authorities are closely monitoring the ship. The US Coast Guard has also dispatched a rescue airplane to inspect the condition of the ship.
An investigation is underway to determine the root cause of the accident.
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Source: U.S. Coast Guard Newsroom
