The owners of Liberian-flagged cargo vessel APL Austria have declared general average (GA) after a fire broke out on board on Sunday (February 12) while the vessel was en route from Singapore to Cape Town.
“Advisories have gone out to our customers and our claims team can provide guidelines for any questions from cargo owners," Maersk Line southern Africa managing director Jonathan Horn told FTW Online. "We certainly understand the difficult situation cargo owners find themselves in and we are communicating what we are able to."
It was thanks to the joint efforts of Transnet National Ports Authority, Transnet Port Terminals, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Fire Department, South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa), South African Police Services (SAPS), National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and a stevedoring company that the fire was eventually extinguished on Wednesday.
Ngqura port manager, Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana, said the port had lost only half a day of operation on Monday, before container offloading resumed at 12h00.
“It took just two and a half days to extinguish this dangerous blaze.”
Crew aboard the modern container vessel reported the fire on board on Sunday evening while the ship was about 30 nautical miles south-west of Cape St Francis.
Port of Ngqura harbour master, Captain Thulani Dubeko, and Ngqura principal officer, Captain Ian Renders, boarded the vessel shortly after 04h00 to assess the situation and to act in an advisory capacity to the vessel’s master. Dubeko then granted permission for the vessel to be docked alongside berth D103 within the terminal for fire-fighting efforts to continue.
Dweba-Kwetana said there had been continuous environmental monitoring of air and water quality during the operation to ensure minimum impact on the marine environment.
Further investigations are under way to determine the cause of the fire - and no details were available at time of writing. Surveyors will assess the vessel for sea-worthiness and carry out any repairs before she is able to set sail from Ngqura to her next destination.
