On January 24, the 55 meter long general cargo vessel Mentari Pratama caught fire while berthed in Surabaya, Indonesia. The vessel was docked at a repair yard when a welder’s gas cylinder exploded. Three men were injured and taken to hospital for burns. Local fire fighters were able to bring the resulting blaze under control an hour later. Part of the Mentari Pratama’s superstructure was scorched by the fire.
The 205 meter long passenger ship Boudicca became disabled in the Atlantic Ocean off Morocco. The Boudicca had departed from Southampton for an 18 night cruise with 784 passengers and 356 crew. After stopping in Cadiz, Spain, the cruise ship continued on its voyage towards Cape Verde when a fire erupted in the vessel’s engine room. The Boudicca lost power and developed a list. While the crew attempted to extinguish the blaze, the 784 passengers were requested to don life jackets and report to their muster stations. The fire was eventually brought under control, power was restored and the vessel was stabilized. No reports of injuries or pollution released. The Boudicca proceeded to Lanzarote. Reports state the crew restored power to two main engines while two others were being repaired.
The 145 meter long, 12099 dwt general cargo vessel Reecon Emre caught fire while berthed at La Réunion. The blaze erupted from the vessel’s boiler and quickly spread through out the engine room. The vessel’s crew requested assistance with the local fire brigade along with personnel from the nearby naval base responding. The combine effort was able to contain the blaze to the engine room. Oil pollution was released and authorities placed booms around the vessel to contain it.