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Month: July 2012

Bunga Alpinia

Bunga Alpinia

The 180 meter long, 37961 dwt chemical tanker Bunga Alpinia caught fire while at the terminal at Labuan, Malaysia.  The vessel was loading 6,000 tons of methanol when it exploded engulfing the vessel in flames.   Two crewmen were killed while another three were injured from heavy burns.  The remaining 24 crewman safely escaped.   Local firefighters where called to the scene while some 1,000 residents were evacuated.   Before the fire was brought under control, there was a third explosion.   The explosion was heard some eight kilometers  away.   The tanker remains afloat partially listing to port next to the jetty which was partially destroyed.   The authorities state the initial cause of the explosion was most likely a lightning strike.   The vessel had been struck by lightning twice earlier.  The Bunga Alpinia was set to load 15,000 tons of methanol bound for China.

Photos from nst.com.my

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Mary Kay

Mary Kay

The 84 foot long fishing vessel Mary Kay sank near the Dixon Entrance off  Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlottes).   The crew contacted the Coast Guard that the vessel was taking on water and required assistance.   The Coast Guard ordered a helicopter to be launched, but two local fishing vessel were able to come to the Mary Kay’s aid.   The four crew were picked up from a liferaft and transferred to the fishing vessel North Wind.  The North Wind proceeded to Ketchikan.  No reports of injuries.   The Mary Kay had some 2500 gallons of diesel fuel when it sank in 100 fathoms of water.  No signs of pollution has been spotted on the surface.  The Coast Guard is conducting an investigation into the incident.

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MSC Flaminia Under Control

MSC Flaminia Under Control

According to salvage experts on site, the fire onboard MSC FLAMINIA is under control since yesterday afternoon. The tugboat ANGLIAN SOVEREIGN is constantly monitoring temperatures onboard the vessel via a laser thermometer and is ready to resume cooling if necessary. Due to thick fog the salvage team is currently unable to board MSC FLAMINIA. As soon as visibility improves, a salvage team will go onboard to check each container individually and extinguish any discovered fires. Only after this procedure MSC FLAMINIA will receive the permission to make a port call. It is currently not concluded which port the vessel will call next as this is still under review. MSC FLAMINIA is still towed by FAIRMOUNT EXPEDITION, with ANGLIAN SOVEREIGN und CARLO MAGNO on standby. The group sails at a speed of 5kn towards Europe and is currently situated 320 nautical miles off the coast of the UK. The vessel still lists by approximately 10 degrees due to damaged cargo and extinguishing water.

More photos of MSC vessels from shipspotting.com

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