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Month: March 2018

Maersk Honam

Maersk Honam

Maersk Honam
Photo: Indian Coast Guard

On March 6, the 353 meter long, 162051 dwt container ship Maersk Honam caught fire in the Arabian Sea near the Agatti Islands. The Maersk Honam had departed from Singapore and was enroute to the Suez Canal when fire broke out in the one of the containers in the cargo hold. The 27 crew on board began fire fighting efforts to contain the blaze, but the fire quickly spread to other containers. Flames engulfed the main deck and the fire was out of control. The Maersk Honam sent out a distress call before the crew abandoned ship.  Twenty-three crew members were later rescued by the cargo vessel ALS Cicero responding.  Several crew members had sustained injuries and required medical attention. Four crew were reported as missing and presumed to be still on the Maersk Honam.

Vessels on scene with the Maersk Honam reported several explosions from the intense fire on the container ship.  Flames from the main deck reached 25 meters high nearly reaching the Maersk Honam’s bridge.

Indian Coast Guard has launched search and rescue operations to find the missing crew. Specialized vessels have been dispatched to assist while authorities coordinate salvage efforts with the vessel’s owners.

Việt Thuận 68

Việt Thuận 68

The 79 meter long, 3095 dwt cargo vessel Việt Thuận 68 collided and sank off Nam Dinh, Vietnam. The Việt Thuận 68 had collided with the coastal vessel Phuong Linh 16 sustaining hull damage including water ingress.  The crew of the Phuong Linh 16 transferred a pump over to the Việt Thuận 68 while it took it under tow back to port.  Two other vessels arrived on scene to help escort the crippled Việt Thuận 68 being towed by the Phuong Linh 16.  Before the vessels reached the safety of port, the pumps failed to stop the flooding.  Before the Việt Thuận 68 sank, all nine crew were safely rescued. No reports of injuries.

 

Wilgum

Wilgum

Wilgum
Photo: news38.de

On March 4, the 21 meter long tugboat Wilgum sprung a leak on the Mittelland Canal near Hannover, Germany. The leak was in the vessel’s engine room and overwhelmed the tug’s pumps. The local fire brigade was contacted and arrived with dewatering pumps. The firemen were able to pump out over 3 tons of water mixed with oil from the Wilgum while a temporary patch to seal the leak. No reports of injuries or pollution released.