Fire consumes weather deck boxes on MOL Comfort, fate of hold unknown
FIRE aboard the detached front end of the 8,000-TEU MOL Comfort has consumed containers on the weather deck and continues to burn out of control on Wednesday despite fire fighting ships to combat the blaze.
"Observations show that most of the containers on deck have been burnt out, while we have not been able to confirm the situation in the cargo hold," said the latest MOL communique.
Heavy seas were blamed by the Japanese shipping giant MOL for the lack of progress in quelling the fire that occured while the surviving front end of the ship was under tow in the Arabian Sea after the vessel split in two on June 27. Shortly after the rear end of the vessel sank. The crew escaped safely.
"Due to adverse weather, work has not been progressing smoothly," said the company.
"A fire broke out from the rear end [of the forward section of the ship] on July 6, and one tug boat and two rescue boats have been responding to the fire. On top of these three boats, the salvage company requested assistance of the Indian Coast Guard for fire fighting equipment, and their patrol boat Samudra Prahhari with her external fire fighting system, arrived at the scene on July 8, and started fire fighting with the others," said the MOL statement.
FIRE aboard the detached front end of the 8,000-TEU MOL Comfort has consumed containers on the weather deck and continues to burn out of control on Wednesday despite fire fighting ships to combat the blaze.
"Observations show that most of the containers on deck have been burnt out, while we have not been able to confirm the situation in the cargo hold," said the latest MOL communique.
Heavy seas were blamed by the Japanese shipping giant MOL for the lack of progress in quelling the fire that occured while the surviving front end of the ship was under tow in the Arabian Sea after the vessel split in two on June 27. Shortly after the rear end of the vessel sank. The crew escaped safely.
"Due to adverse weather, work has not been progressing smoothly," said the company.
"A fire broke out from the rear end [of the forward section of the ship] on July 6, and one tug boat and two rescue boats have been responding to the fire. On top of these three boats, the salvage company requested assistance of the Indian Coast Guard for fire fighting equipment, and their patrol boat Samudra Prahhari with her external fire fighting system, arrived at the scene on July 8, and started fire fighting with the others," said the MOL statement.