October 22, 2024
SINGAPORE – All 22 crew members aboard a vessel anchored in the East Johor Strait that caught fire on Oct 21 are safe and accounted for.
In a Facebook post on the same day, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it was alerted to the blaze at about 10.30am.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement that the fire on board Malta-flagged tanker Med Atlantic started in the engine room.
Three SCDF marine firefighting and rescue vessels and about 30 marine firefighting specialists from Brani Marine Fire Station and West Coast Marine Fire Station were deployed to the blaze.
An MPA patrol craft, two police coast guard craft and two tugboats were also deployed to help and ensure navigational safety, MPA added.
The SCDF used a water monitor to conduct defensive firefighting and to cool the exterior of the vessel.
Once it was established that there were no visible signs of fire, marine firefighting specialists boarded the vessel with a water jet to ensure that the fire – which involved the vessel’s exhaust funnel – had been fully extinguished, SCDF said in an update at about 9pm.
Known as boundary cooling, the process helps to reduce the temperature of the vessel’s metal structure.
All crew members have disembarked the blazing vessel and have no injuries, said SCDF and MPA.
“There is no disruption to vessel traffic in the incident area”, MPA said, adding that it is issuing navigational broadcasts for passing vessels to keep clear of the area.
The authority added that the Singapore Food Agency is monitoring the situation closely and has advised fish farms in the vicinity to take necessary precautions.
Damping-down operations, which mean the application of water to a burnt surface immediately after a fire has been put out, are ongoing.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.