On August 13, a fire reportedly erupted in the cargo hold of a bulk carrier and remains adrift off Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, Atlantic Ocean.
What happened?
The bulk carrier ‘Cheshire’ was enroute from Norway to Thailand when it reportedly caught fire. The bulker was loaded with 40,000 tons of ammonium nitrate used as a fertilizer.
On August 13, the vessel sought permission to enter the port of Las Palmas but was denied entry.
Subsequently on August 14, an explosion was heard from the cargo hold no.4 and thick smoke was seen billowing from the ship and a fire alarm was raised by the crew members onboard the vessel.
Crew members rescued:
The 24 crew members of the bulk carrier were safely evacuated by a couple of SAR helicopters. The cause of the fire is believed to have started due to a chemical reaction in the fertilizer that caused it to overheat. They were winched to safety after a steep rise in the temperature level of the ammonium nitrate on board made it dangerous for the seafarers to remain because of the toxic gases released.
Vessel remains adrift:
The vessel remains currently adrift in the Atlantic Ocean a few hundred miles south of Grand Canary Island.
The ship owner has hired the services of the rescue company ‘Resolve Salvage’ to retrieve the vessel. The SAR tug ‘Puntas Salinas’ is reportedly on scene with the Cheshire.
A spokesman for Bibby Line Limited said, “The vessel had reached a safe position 45 miles south of Gran Canaria on Sunday after the ‘thermal decomposition’ of the ammonium nitrate and local authorities were offering assistance. The temperature in hold 4 rose to a high enough level to cause damage to the hatch cover and the plan is to use the assistance of a specialist salvage company to provide resources to cool the affected cargo and consequently, professional salvors”.
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Source: Daily Mail
