Korean RoRo Turns Around After Reporting Truck Fire
A Korean-flagged RoRo operating as a ferry was forced to turn around on Friday evening, February 6, after the crew discovered a truck fire onboard. The crew, aided by the local fire department and the Coast Guard, was able to bring the fire under control after about two hours.
The Korean Coast Guard unit in Jeju and the fire department reported receiving the report of the fire at about 5:30 pm local time. The ship had departed Jeju bound for Mokpo approximately 40 minutes earlier. It had a crew of 16 aboard plus 12 truck drivers. The ship was reported to be carrying a total of 127 vehicles, including 86 trucks and 41 passenger cars.
The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter to survey the situation while four patrol boats were also deployed. The fire department was put on standby at the pier awaiting the arrival of the ship.
After the fire alarms went off on the vessel, the crew initiated the fire suppression systems while the captain turned the vessel around to return to Jeju. Pictures from the Coast Guard show smoke emitted from the ferry, Seaworld Marine 2 (6,000 dwt). Built in 2002 as a Japanese vehicle carrier, the ferry has been operating in Korea since 2024.
(Jeju Fire and Safety Headquarters)
Medical teams set up an emergency station on the dock and reported treating crewmembers and truck drivers for smoke inhalation. Four people, two crewmembers and two truck drivers, were sent on to the hospital for further treatment.
Fire crews reported they were able to extinguish the fire about an hour after the vessel returned to the dock. Three trucks were reportedly heavily damaged, and a survey was ongoing of the vessel.
The fire was believed to have started in a refrigerated truck. The Coast Guard and fire department said they would be reviewing closed-circuit TV from the cargo areas to determine the cause of the fire.
Russian Rescue Service Responds to Explosion and Fire on MSC Boxship
An MSC containership inbound for Saint Petersburg, Russia was reportedly disabled after an explosion and fire in the Gulf of Finland. Details are coming from Russian media reports of the incident without official confirmation from the maritime services or MSC.
A feeder ship named MSC Giada III (39,000 dwt) experienced an explosion in its engine room that is reported to have spread upward into the accommodation block of the ship. Images posted by the Russian media show flames at the rear of the accommodation block.
Reports indicate the fire was brought under control while the Russian icebreaker Semyon Dezhnev was dispatched to aid. There are conflicting reports that the rescue vessel Spasatel Karev may have also participated in the rescue operation.
The containership is registered in Liberia and has operated for MSC since 2022. Reports indicate it has a Russian captain and at least some of the crew are from Myanmar.
Russian media is reporting the vessel’s AIS signal went offline on the evening of February 4 while it was in Neva Bay. The ship appeared in Saint Petersburg on February 5, apparently towed into port. Its AIS signal has been restored and shows the vessel berthed.
The fire was reportedly contained to a small area of the vessel. There are no reports of injuries to the crew or pollution from the ship.
Built in 2002, it is a 2,700 TEU feeder that MSC employs on a route servicing the Baltic, Spain, and Portugal. The online schedule indicates the ship left Agadir and had made a stop in Antwerp before heading to Russia. It was due to proceed on to Riga and Klaipeda.
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