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Tag: Fire

Heiko

Heiko

Heiko
Photo: dagbladet.no

The 55 meter long, 839 dwt cargo vessel Heiko caught fire off Flatøy, Norway. The Heiko was proceeding in ballast in heavy seas when it suffered engine failure.  Soon after a fire broke out in the engine room and quickly spread to other compartments on the Heiko.  The four crew on board sent out a distress call stating the Heiko was disabled and on fire.  Authorities dispatched a rescue boat and helicopter to the scene. One crewman was saved by the rescue boat while three others were hoisted to safety by the helicopter.  Reports state one crew person on the Heiko suffered a broken arm during the incident.

Heiko
Photo: tv2.no

With heavy seas and gale force winds, rescuers were unable to combat the fire on board the Heiko. Authorities state the fire had consumed much of the vessel’s superstructure.  The Heiko continued to drift until it ran aground.

Fungka Permata V

Fungka Permata V

On September 14, the ferry KM Fungka Permata V caught fire and sank in the Banda Sea off Banggai Island, Indonesia. The ferry had over 120 persons on board when a fire broke out while en route to Banggai.  Little details reported about the incident, but some 126 people were rescued.  A report states 10 people perished in the blaze and an additional 8 were missing. However, there is confusion to the number of passengers that were actually on board the Fungka Permata V.  The manifest states less than 100 passengers which makes the numbers unreliable. 

Jacob Kyle Rusthoven

Jacob Kyle Rusthoven

Jacob Kyle Rusthoven
Photo: uscg

On September 12, the 30 meter long, 218 gt towboat Jacob Kyle Rusthoven caught fire on the Mississippi River at mile marker 664 near Helena-West Helena, Arkansas. The towboat was pushing 9 barges loaded with rocks when the fire broke out in the vessel’s engine room.  The crew was unable to contain the blaze and sent out a distress call. A nearby vessel came to their and evacuated the crew.  The Jacob Kyle Rusthoven was then pushed to the Arkansas shoreline where local fire fighters were able to extinguish the blaze 7 hours later. No reports of injuries. 

The Coast Guard had stopped nearby traffic on the Mississippi River during the incident. Reports state the Jacob Kyle Rusthoven had some 13,300 gallons of diesel fuel on board at the time, but no pollution was detected. Authorities stated that 3 of the rock barges had broken free during the incident, but were later recovered.