Fire - Shipwreck Log

Sofia

November 29, 2024 Paul Hancock

On the evening of November 28, the 70 meter long, 1827 dwt cargo vessel Sofia (IMO: 8616087) suffered an explosion and fire in Baltic Sea some 30 nautical miles off the coast of Bornholm, Denmark. The Sofia was proceeding in ballast from Poland to Karlshamn when the vessel alerted authorities a mayday alert and the crew needed to abandon ship. Both Danish and Swedish authorities dispatched helicopters and vessels to the scene. Reports state a Swedish rescue helicopter was first to arrive over the Sofia and were able to winch up all 5 crew safely. The helicopter took the crew to Kristianstad and were reported unharmed from the incident. Polish authorities also dispatched the rescue vessel Kapitan Poinc along with a tugboat towards the drifting Sofia.

Reports state the vessel’s owners had dispatched a tug from Rostock to take the Sofia under tow and take it to a shipyard for repair. No details on the cause of the explosion nor the extent of damage caused by the explosion and the fire. Authorities stated the Sofia was not a threat to navigation in the area.

RheinPoesie

November 25, 2024 Paul Hancock

On the morning of November 25, the 53 meter long passenger ship RheinPoesie (MMSI:221507850) caught fire on the Rhine near Düsseldorf, Germany. The RheinPoesie was proceeding on the Rhine when a mixture of steam and smoke was spotted coming out of the engine room. The vessel proceeded to a nearby jetty where it was met by the local fire brigade. Fire fighters were quickly able to extinguish the fire using a small device. The entire operation was completed within two hours. No reports of injuries.

One report stated there was sound of an explosion prior to the fire. Damage to the engine room was not disclosed nor the direct cause of the fire. No reports if the water police will conduct an investigation into the incident.

CMT 252

November 21, 2024 Paul Hancock

On the late morning of November 13, the barge CMT 252 caught fire on the Mobile River near the Cochrane-Africatown bridge in Mobile, Alabama. The 17 meter long towboat Judson B (MMSI: 367004950) was pushing a string of barges when the CMT 252 loaded with a cargo of crushed cars started to billow out dense smoke. The Judson B pulled the CMT 252 away from the other barges a distance away as local firefighters dispatched a fire boat along with a drone with thermal cameras. Assisted by the 28 meter long tugboat Lisa Cooper, the fire fighters contained the blaze later the same day.