NTSB: Used vehicle battery caused weeklong cargo ship fire

2 years ago 243

Black fume continued pouring from cargo vessel 20 hours aft the occurrence was archetypal reporting (WJXT/Sky 4)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The National Transportation Safety Board has released its investigative study connected the June 4, 2020 occurrence aboard a cargo vessel astatine Blount Island.

NTSB said the occurrence connected the Hoegh Xiamen started connected the eighth platform of the ship, sparked by an improperly disconnected artillery connected 1 of the 2,400 vehicles onboard.

The NTSB determined that the ship’s occurrence detection strategy was offline for the loading process erstwhile the occurrence started and wasn’t reactivated until aft the fume was archetypal seen.

According to the report, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department’s effect was delayed due to the fact that the ship’s sailing maestro “did not person instantly disposable interaction accusation for hunt and rescue authorities and did not cognize however to study a occurrence to section authorities—who to call, what fig to dial, oregon which frequence to use.”

The NTSB said the archetypal telephone to exigency crews was from idiosyncratic onshore. It lists the pursuing timetable:

3:30 p.m.: Smoke archetypal seen connected the ship
3:45 p.m. Ship’s occurrence detection strategy re-activated
3:49 p.m.: Ship’s sailing maestro starts making vigor calls
3:54 p.m.: The distress telephone is relayed to the U.S. Coast Guard by different vessel
3:59 p.m.: An onshore witnesser calls 911
4:03 p.m.: The archetypal JFRD portion reaches the ship

According to the report, 9 members of JFRD were injured portion warring the fire, 5 seriously. The occurrence burned for a full of 8 days. None of the vessel’s 21 crewmembers was injured.

The vessel was a full nonaccomplishment and much than 2,400 vehicles connected committee were arsenic well. There was a full of much than $40 cardinal successful damage.

The vas was towed to Turkey to beryllium recycled successful August 2020 aft salvage operations were completed. According to the Coast Guard, due to the fact that of the tireless efforts to spray h2o connected the ship’s exterior, the vessel’s hull remained intact — keeping it from breaking up and sinking, which was a bully happening for information and imaginable environmental impacts.

The NTSB concluded galore of the vehicles loaded onto the vas had batteries that were not disconnected and secured successful accordance with procedures, which accrued the hazard of electrical arcing and constituent faults. During loading operations, some the loading unit and unit missed opportunities to code these hazards, officials said.

The NTSB recommended that the shipping companies amended oversight of conveyance loading and grooming of unit progressive successful artillery securement. The bureau recommended national agencies amended regulations for ships that transport utilized vehicles. The NTSB besides recommended that the vessel’s relation revise their procedures for the reactivation of occurrence detection systems and ensuring exigency interaction accusation is instantly disposable for span teams.

Sky 4 implicit burning cargo ship