Awadi
On the afternoon of September 1, the 49 meter long fishing vessel Awadi (IMO: 7922283) caught fire on the Ria de Arousa while berthed in Ribeira, Spain. The fire was ignited by a spark from welders doing some maintenance work on the vessel. As the fire quickly spread through the Awadi, the 2 crew on board were able to safely evacuate to shore. By the time the local fire brigade arrived on site, the vessel was enveloped in a large cloud of smoke. Fire fighters from shore assisted by patrol vessels sprayed water on the fishing vessel, but reaching the flames below deck was difficult.
Fire fighting continued through the next day. Due to the amount of water used, the Awadi developed a strong list to starboard. Additional dewatering pumps were deployed to avoid the fishing vessel from rolling over and sinking. Reports state the fire fighting efforts allowed them to gain access to the interior of the vessel on September 2. Authorities reported the vessel was severely gutted by the flames and it would take additional days before the entire fire would be extinguished. Containment booms were placed around the vessel to contain any pollution released from the incident. The extent of damage has not been released. There were no injuries reported.
