(haipo) A fire broke out on a cargo ship called the "Blue Antlers" carrying a cargo of scrap metal, after it left the port of Ashdod in the early hours of the morning. The ship was 75 miles off the coast of Israel, outside territorial waters, when the fire was discovered. At the captain's discretion, the ship returned to the port of Haifa, where firefighting forces were working to deal with the incident.
Abnormal temperatures, flames and explosive sounds in the scrap tanks ◄ View
During the voyage, in the afternoon, the ship's crew reported abnormal temperatures measured in two large scrap storage tanks on board the vessel. Along with the abnormal temperatures, the crew also reported explosive sounds, flames, and smoke coming from the tanks. The ship's crew acted quickly, covering the storage tanks with lids and simultaneously injecting CO2 gas to suppress the fire and reduce the flames and temperatures. The report of the incident was received at the control center of the Israel Fire and Rescue Coastal District.
The ship returned to Haifa Port after eight hours of sailing.
The captain decided to return the ship to Haifa Port. After about eight hours of sailing, at 20:45 PM, the ship arrived at the Israel Shipyards Port in Haifa. At the scene, the firefighting teams from the Kiryat Station joined the ship's crew, received an overview and situation report about the incident, and worked in collaboration with all emergency agencies to clear the scene and prevent the fire from continuing.
The event was managed by District Fire Chief Lieutenant Eitan Ripa and District Marine Fire Officer Udi Azariahan.