Undeclared chemical blamed for APL Austria fire

Investigations into the cause
of the fire that broke out on
board the Liberian-registered
cargo vessel, the APL
Austria, in the Indian Ocean
some 50-70 kilometres west
of Port Elizabeth last month,
are still under way.
And according to the SA
Maritime Safety Authority
(Samsa), it may be a while
before they find answers.
After the fire broke out,
the vessel was redirected to
Algoa Bay and then to its
current docking location
at the port of Ngqura,
following which the crew was
evacuated while firefighters
subdued the blaze.
According to Captain
Daron Burgess, a principal
officer at Samsa’s southern
region office in Port
Elizabeth, the suspected
cause of the fire is possibly a
chemical known as a calcium
hypochlorite that was found
stowed under deck in No 4
cargo hold.
Wikipedia describes
calcium hypochlorite as a
chemical “commonly used
to sanitise public swimming
pools and disinfect drinking
water. Calcium hypochlorite
is also used in kitchens
to disinfect surfaces and
equipment.”
According to Burgess, the
vessel’s crew was “unaware”
of the presence of the
chemical on board the vessel
“as it was not declared as
such.”
Reporting on the
continuing mop-up
operation on board the
vessel, Burgess told
FTW that: “All damaged
containers have been
discharged from the vessel
and the No 4 cargo hold
is now empty and being
mopped up. All empty
CO2 cylinders have been
replenished and placed back
on board.”
He added that highpressure
hose cleaning had
begun and was expected to
be completed the following
afternoon, “after which
investigators hoped to have
a full view of the damage to
the vessel”.
According to Burgess,
repairs to damage caused
by the fire on board the
vessel were unlikely to be
conducted at the Port of
Ngqura, where the APL
Austria had taken refuge.
And on Tuesday last week,
Burgess said it was likely the
vessel might set sail again
sometime this week.