Video: Fire Breaks Out On Bangladesh-Flagged Oil Tanker At Chattogram Anchorage

A fire broke out in the engine room of Bangladesh-flagged oil tanker MT Meghna Traders at the outer anchorage of Chattogram Port on Thursday morning, prompting a joint firefighting and rescue operation by the port authority, Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard.

According to officials, the fire started at around 7:30am while the vessel was anchored at Charlie Point near Parki Beach in the Bay of Bengal.

Crew members were immediately evacuated from the engine room after the fire broke out, and carbon dioxide was released inside the compartment in an attempt to control the flames.

After receiving the information, Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) sent tugboats Kandari-3 and Kandari-11 to the scene.

Bangladesh Navy tug BNT Sebak and Bangladesh Coast Guard tugboat Promotto also joined the firefighting operation.

Coast Guard ship Shyamal Bangla and additional rescue teams later took part in the operation.

CPA officials said the fire was brought under control at around 11:30am after nearly four hours of firefighting efforts.

However, a Coast Guard official earlier said operations were still continuing at the scene.

A total of 22 crew members were rescued safely and no casualties were reported, according to port officials.

Md Nasir Uddin, Chief Personnel Officer of Chattogram Port Authority, said the vessel arrived at the outer anchorage on May 26 carrying edible oil cargo from Indonesia.

Some officials described the cargo as around 12,000 tonnes of palm oil, while other port statements identified it as RBD soybean oil.

The cause of the fire could not be immediately confirmed.

Officials from the Chattogram Port Authority, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Bangladesh Navy and the vessel’s local agent USL remained onboard the ship to monitor the situation after the fire was contained.

References: tbsnews, thefinancialexpress