Container vessel abandoned mid atlantic.

[lenseman]

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.

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/showallphotos.aspx?imo=9225615#top_photo

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.

http://hmcoastguard.blogspot.co.uk/

 

[ripvan1]

So where will the containers end up and how many - not good

 

[lenseman]

That hasn't been reported yet but she is a burning, floating hulk, mid Atlantic.

 

[onesea]

So where will the containers end up and how many - not good

I would guess salvage tugs will already be on the way. So depends how the weather is and how the cargo lashings hold. ..

 

[lenseman]

I would guess salvage tugs will already be on the way. So depends how the weather is and how the cargo lashings hold. ..

F2 - F3 with 1 metre swell is positively balmy out there.

 

[photodog]

I recognise that name... I think i have seen her in Felixstowe..

 

[onesea]

F2 - F3 with 1 metre swell is positively balmy out there.

OK OK I should of written how it holds. Unless one is already in area it will be about 3? Days to get a tug there..

If any weather comes I guess she will be beam on test ing all her lashings. Unless fire was/ is such she will not remain afloat that long.

 

[Seajet]

Seems an unusual sort of accident nowadays, from what little I know of merchant shipping; very sad they've already lost 1 crew, doesn't sound much fun at all.

 

[VicS]

I recognise that name... I think i have seen her in Felixstowe..

You could well have done. In fact due to have been in Felixstowe on 17 July !

In this picture too http://www.flickr.com/photos/omcoc/3286355494/lightbox/

 

[lenseman]

I estimate that she is at 40°50'N 039° 45'W based on her speed and destinationfrom last known position of the US coast, Antwerp due 18 July, Felixstowe on the 20th, then Bremerhaven on the 23rd, Le Havre on 27th then onto Veracruz, Mexico.

http://www.tuscorlloyds.com/tuscor-lloyds-schedules/mexico/

 

[Habebty]

I recognise that name... I think i have seen her in Felixstowe..

Yes, me too! I'm sure I got a photo somewhere because she dropped her anchor pretty sharpish in the harbour off Shotley spit!! after an engine failure coming off her berth, with a tug pushing like crazy stopping the stern from swinging onto the spit. Definitely an MSC boat though

My guess would be a refrigerated box compressor fire deep in the stack.

 

[lenseman]

. . . . Definitely an MSC boat though . . . .

I hope so 'cos its got it writ in HUGE letters on both sides!

 

[Seadog17]

My guess would be a refrigerated box compressor fire deep in the stack.

Not saying it's not, but a compressor failure would have to be pretty major to cause an explosion, unless there were gasses present.

 

[penfold]

OK OK I should of written how it holds. Unless one is already in area it will be about 3? Days to get a tug there..

If any weather comes I guess she will be beam on test ing all her lashings. Unless fire was/ is such she will not remain afloat that long.

More like 4-5 days. A fire in the hold isn't likely to affect watertight integrity; several container ships have had severe cargo fires and remained afloat afterwards. The MV Hyundai Fortune is perhaps the worst recent one.

 

[onesea]

I estimate that she is at 40°50'N 039° 45'W based on her speed and destinationfrom last known position of the US coast, Antwerp due 18 July, Felixstowe on the 20th, then Bremerhaven on the 23rd, Le Havre on 27th then onto Veracruz, Mexico.

http://www.tuscorlloyds.com/tuscor-lloyds-schedules/mexico/

"It was yesterday (Saturday) reported by Falmouth Coast Guard that 08:50 hrs in the morning the 2001 built German flagged containership MSC FLAMINIA experienced fire and explosion in the No. 4 hold, at position lat 48 13N, long 27 56W , the 23 crew members of the 75.590 grt container vessel has abandoned the vessel, the first ship which reached the location of the casualty was the DS CROWN and other vessels changed course and headed for the location to assist in the rescue operation"

Around 600 miles out not a bad calculation, if my info above is correct

More like 4-5 days. A fire in the hold isn't likely to affect watertight integrity; several container ships have had severe cargo fires and remained afloat afterwards. The MV Hyundai Fortune is perhaps the worst recent one.

Allot depends on circumstance, tugs eta will depend on what equipment is sitting round available for work and how much fuel they have available to burn to get there (and back)...

 

[mjcoon]

OK OK I should of written how it holds.

What has happened to the word "have"? Is it too difficult to pronounce because of the "v" and hence gets mis-spelled?

Mike.

 

[onesea]

What has happened to the word "have"? Is it too difficult to pronounce because of the "v" and hence gets mis-spelled?

Mike.

Or is it just that some of us write different to others?
Or do some of us write bad to annoy those that do not?
Your lucky you can understand it

Makes a change from one or 2 of my recent posts where tablets predictive text has tried to "help" Apologize for those that tried to understand those!

 

[DanBurrill]

Not saying it's not, but a compressor failure would have to be pretty major to cause an explosion, unless there were gasses present.

I recall reading a recent article in The Report (the journal of the IIMS) concerning counterfeit refrigerant gases that were both flammable and explosive in air. I can't recall the details (cargo and big ships not being my area, I only had a quick look), but it did sound like a potentially very serious problem.

 

[Gerry]

Oh dear about to leave the Azores heading for the UK, had better keep a good look out. Is there a site that updates it's position that I could look at?

 

[lenseman]

Oh dear about to leave the Azores heading for the UK, had better keep a good look out. Is there a site that updates it's position that I could look at?

It will be a long way behind you off your port quarter.

It is also on fire so would be very visible during Middle and First!