On Sunday we posted about an explosion and fire aboard the container ship MSC Flaminia in the North Atlantic about a thousand miles west of Cornwall. The first officer died from burns received in the fire and one crew member is missing. The rest of the 25 crew were evacuated and the ship was abandoned. Now, four days later, the ship is burning and new explosions have been reported. The first firefighting tug, the Smit Fairmont Expedition, has arrived at the drifting ship. The new explosions interrupted the tug’s firefighting operations. A second firefighting tug is expected to arrive today.
From photographs sent back, it appears that the fire has spread through at least five stacks of containers, or close to 220′ along the length of the 980′ ship. So far, the engine room, deck house and after hatches do not appear to be on fire. The container ship Hanjin Ottowa is also standing by to help assess the situation aboard the burning ship.