On the night of October 13, the 41 meter long, 389 gt fishing vessel Armana (IMO: 5024611) caught fire on the South Atlantic Ocean 60 nautical miles south of Gansbaai on the Western Cape, South Africa. Unable to contain the blaze and fearing the 62 year old fishing vessel was likely to sink, the 20 crew on board abandoned the fishing trawler into 2 life rafts. The nearby fishing vessel Ludwani was able to safely rescue all 20 crew without incident.
Photo: SAMSA
Authorities state the Armana remained afloat until the following day when it finally sank. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has launched an investigation into the incident. The source of the fire was not reported.
On the morning of October 11, the 73 meter long, 1646 dwt tanker Annika caught fire while in the Baltic Sea several kilometers off Kühlungsborn, Germany. The tanker, loaded with 640 tons of crude oil, had departed from Rostock bound for Travemünde when a fire broke out on the vessel. The fire released out large plumes of dense black smoke and spread over the superstructure.
The Annika sent out a distress call with authorities dispatching a DGzRS rescue boat to the scene. The rescue boat Wilma Sikorski arrived a short time later and rescued all seven crew off the tanker. Some of the Annika crew sustained slight injuries and taken to hospital.
Photo: DGzRS
Additional vessels arrived on scene to conduct firefighting including the DGzRS vessel Arkona and tug Baltic along with the fireboat Albert Wegener and several water police vessels. These vessels doused the tanker with water bringing the fire under control on deck, but were unable to extinguish the blaze completely below deck. The Annika was taken under tow by two salvage tugboats to Rostock where the local fire brigade would continue the effort. Reports state fire fighters were able to completely extinguish the blaze the following day.
Authorities have blocked access to the vessel as they conduct an investigation. Divers did inspect the hull for heat damage while an oil boom was placed around the the Annika to contain any pollution released. Initial reports state the fire engulfed the entire stern of the vessel severely damaging the engine room and destroying the tanker’s lifeboat. Conflicting reports state the fire may have started in the vessel’s paint room or possibly the engine room. The cargo tanks were reported to be intact and were not involved with the fire.
On the evening of September 27, the 36 meter long, 499 gt fishing vessel Havfjord (IMO: 9897860) caught fire in the North Sea near Bergen, Norway. Authorities received a distress call that the vessel was ablaze and in danger. The vessel reported the five person crew on board were unable to extinguish the blaze and were abandoning ship into the vessel’s life raft. Helicopters from the nearby oil platforms along with patrol vessels launched a search and rescue for the crew. Within an hour, a helicopter found the five crew and was able to lift them to safety. Two crew had sustained smoke inhalation and was taken to hospital for treatment.
Multiple vessels found the burning Havfjord still afloat. Attempts to extinguish the blaze were unsuccessful as the fire consumed the superstructure. Reports state the fire was finally extinguished but flared up again the next day. The owner of the Havfjord states the vessel is a total loss. The Havfjord was built in 2022 at Karstensen Shipyard.
