Germany’s Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU) reports of the fire on-board the 7,200 teu Yantian Express, which destroyed 320 containers.
Yantian Express on fire
In the early morning of 3rd January 2019, a fire broke out in the deck cargo in the area of cargo hold 2 on board the German flagged container ship Yantian Express. The ship was on the North Atlantic at that time and it was due to reach Halifax on the following day.
Read More: How to prevent containership fires?
The ships command immediately ordered the crew to fight the fire. However, despite great dedication, the crew did not succeed in containing the fire with shipboard resources and keeping it under control, respectively. The spread of the fire to the superstructures could be prevented.
Smit Nicobar called in for salvage operations
The shipping company concluded a contract with a salvage company very quickly. In the late evening on 4th January 2019, their tug, the Smit Nicobar, already reached the operation site and took over the firefighting operations with the help of their extinguishing monitors.
Despite the action taken by the Smit Nicobar, the fire extended further in to the deck area of cargo hold 1. Due to the overall situation, at first a part of the Yantian Express’s crew and later on the whole crew, left the ship and transferred to the tug.
Maersk Mobiliser takes over firefighting operations
On 7th January 2019, the Maersk Mobiliser reached the operation site and took over the firefighting operations.
Five crew members returned to the Yantian Express voluntarily and resumed the operation of the ship, as the situation on-board the burning ship seemed safer than beforehand on 9th January 2019. With the crew, the salvage master started his work on the damaged ship as well.
In the ensuing days, further tugs and supply ships reached the Yantian Express and took salvage experts and firefighters with their equipment to the scene.
The remaining crew members of the Yantian Express were taken to the next port by another ship of the shipping company.
The salvage company announced that the containers were extinguished after 19 days.
- On 22nd January 2019, towing of the ship towards the Bahamas was commenced. Later on, the Yantian Express continued her voyage under her own power.
- On 26th January 2019, the last burning containers in cargo hold 1 were extinguished and all fire extinguishing pumps were stopped.
- On 30th January 2019, tug and tow reached the anchorage of the port of refuge in Freeport, Bahamas. Severel days later, the ship was allowed to sail into the port.
- On 19th February 2019, unloading the containers in the area of cargo holds 1 and 2 started.
Charcoal causes fire
The Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation started its investigation on board after the ship had arrived on the anchorage of Freeport, inspecting the areas on the ship crucial for the development of the fire and the firefighting operations.
The area where the fire broke out was inspected thoroughly in the port. Unloading of the containers of this area was observed. However, the BSU investigation could not clarify the cause of the fire unambiguously.
This was especially due to the very long duration of the fire and the intensive use of firefighting water which changed the origin of the fire strongly.
Read More: Why is Charcoal shipping under IMO radar?
By procedure of exclusion, three containers which could possibly have caused the fire, were identified. One of the containers was laden with Coconut Charcoal, which was errouneously declared Coconut Pellets.
As regards this plant coal, analogies are shown to the marine casualty investigation BSU 455/15 – fire on the MSC KATRINA by self-igniting of the charcoal stowed in one container.
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Source: Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU)
