299m 75000GRT Container Vessel MSC Flaminia Abandoned Mid Atlantic

Jambo

Taken from a MCA Press office tweet yesterday ( See Below)


Photo Above - Taken from Marinetraffic

CONTAINER VESSEL ABANDONED MID ATLANTIC

Crew on board a container vessel were forced to abandon their ship after an explosion and subsequent fire in a cargo hold mid Atlantic.

Crew on board a container vessel were forced to abandon their ship after an explosion and subsequent fire in a cargo hold mid Atlantic.

At 10:07 Falmouth Coastguard received the relayed mayday broadcast from the German registered MSC Flaminia reporting that the crew on board had abandoned the vessel.

Falmouth Coastguard broadcast an alert to all vessels in the area and the nearest vessel which could provide assistance was the oil tanker DS Crown which immediately changed course to intercept the MSC Flaminia. Six other merchant vessels also proceeded to the location to help with the search and rescue operation but were more than six hours from the location. Rescue helicopters do not have the endurance required to attend an incident of this nature because the vessel is approximately 1,000 miles from land mid way between the UK and Canada.

DS Crown arrived on scene to confirm that the MSC Flaminia was still burning and recovered 24 people from a lifeboat and a liferaft. Four crew had suffered injuries. The injured crew have been transferred to the vessel MSC Stella which will take them to the Azores. One crew member is missing.


The MSC Flaminia is a large container vessel of 75,590 gross tonnage and had 25 people on board. Crew of the MSC Flaminia include German, Polish and Filipino nationals. Weather conditions on scene were winds force 3-4 with a one metre swell.

Good to know most of the crew have managed to be rescued allthough four are injured and one remains missing

This will be a nice salvage job for someone - they will make quiet a few quid on getting the vessel - more than likley for scrap.

Poor Uncle Tom

Latest from an hour ago.

Crewmember dies from heavy burns, one still missing, two tugs on the way
Falmouth coastguards are co-ordinating the rescue of a crew from a German container ship after an explosion in one of its holds in the North Atlantic. One man died from burns, three were injured and one person is missing, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said. The three injured crew were taken to the Azores for treatment and the remaining crew will be brought to Falmouth on another ship. The MSC Flaminia was 1,000 miles west of Cornwall when the blast occured. Reportedly, two tugs with firefighting equipment are on the way to a burning vessel, ETA July 17 afternoon. Manager of the vessel, German company NSB Niederelbe just can’t explain what happened and will stay in dark until specialists will reach MSC Flaminia. Crew said fire started in hold number four, reportedly some containers were loaded with calcium hypochlorite.

goldie fish

Where's our ETV now?

Tabnabs

No point in sending out an ETV, no threat to anyones shore at this stage.

Smit are understood to have dispatched the 16,320-hp ocean going tug Fairmount Expedition (built 2007) and the 16,500-hp Anglian Sovereign (built 2003) to the last reported position of the MSC Flaminia.

http://www.tradewindsnews.com/casualties/280250/smit-to-the-rescue

Both ships are out of range according to marinetraffic.com, must have got a good headstart.

goldie fish

Wasn't Anglian Sovereign one of the UK ETVs till they cancelled the contract?
Control of such a ship should be taken before it starts drifting towards anyones coast, not to mention the cargo it may already be losing.

Jambo

Sad to hear about an extra casualty in this saga.

FYI Anglian Sovereign is just entering The Minch at present she is a long way off with an ETA of Sat AM on Scene

According to the Navarea Two warnings yesterday the MSC Flaminia was approx 700NM SW of Mizzen Head which would mean the Fairmount Expedition should be on the scene sometime today

NAVAREA TWO 215/12 NORTH ALANTIC - FARADAY 1 - M/V FLAMINA IS ON FIRE AND ADRIFT IN VICINITY 48-13N 027-56W AT 141600 UTC JUL 12. 2 - NUMEROUS .CONTAINERS ADRIFT IN AREA. KEEP SHARP LOOKOUT AND CAUTION ADVISED.

Jambo

Update from the Fairmount Expidetion onsite via towingline.com http://www.towingline.com/archives/1466?utm_campaign=&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitter

Tabnabs

Update on the story here
http://www.towingline.com/archives/1468

Very interesting to follow it.

Tabnabs

Two photos from the Fairmount Expedition

johngalway

Don't know much about ships. She seems to be listing in the photos above, I wonder why that is, and will the fire sink her if it's too dangerous for fire fighting aboard ship.

ex_infantry man

johngalway wrote: »

Don't know much about ships. She seems to be listing in the photos above, I wonder why that is, and will the fire sink her if it's too dangerous for fire fighting aboard ship.

it seems some of the containers have collapsed this may be why she is listing her starboard side or the structoral steel may be warped due tothe heat from the fire??

mp22

johngalway wrote: »

Don't know much about ships. She seems to be listing in the photos above, I wonder why that is, and will the fire sink her if it's too dangerous for fire fighting aboard ship.

Its all the water they are using to fight the fire,the next thing that needs to happen is some brave souls go on board and start pumping the bilges.

Poor Uncle Tom

http://www.marinelink.com/news/abandoned-container346421.aspx

Due to damaged cargo and extinguishing water the ship is listing by 8.5 degrees.
The extent of the damage onboard MSC Flaminia is considerable. Cargo holds 4, where the fire originated from, as well as holds 5 and 6 are demolished. According to salvage specialists cargo hold 7, which is located adjacent to the superstructure, is not on fire.
The superstructure itself, the engine room as well as bow and stern – including the steering gear – are all not affected by the fire.

Is it possible to have an inferno blasting away for over a week and still not have damage to the superstructure?

Jambo

Apparently the fire is well under control well ahead of expectations. Currently MSC Flaminia under tow is approx 140 NM of Lands End according to marinetraffic