The fire on board of MSC Flaminia is growing and now includes 1200 TEU from the cargo on board. The salvage operations of the large container ship, which exploded in the mid Atlantic, started a few days ago, but the firefighting tugs are still no able to get control of the fire. The ship MSC Flaminia is drifting with 8.2 degrees heel to starboard, due to the burning containers and fire fighting equipment on board. On the scene of the accident now there are 3 tugs – Fairmount Expedition, Anglian Sovereign and Carlo Mango, which deluge the fire with water. On board of the container ship were boarded also 4 people, who are trying to re-activate the firefighting system of MSC Flaminia and also boarded additional equipment. The salvage operations are head by SMIT company, which has open agreement for the rescue operations of the container ship. According to information from them, the superstructure, stern and bridge are no affected by the fire, but now more than 1200 TEU are burning, as it is expected the fire to catch about 1500 TEU.
However, the tugs were able to start towing of the container ship MSC Flaminia, which is now underway to European ports with speed of 5.0 knots. The ship is on about 600 nautical miles from the bay of Biscay and UK, but the salvage tugs first should extinguish the fire, before berthing the vessel. The plan of the SMIT company is to enclose the vessel to the shores and to engage more firefighting tugs to the salvage operations.
Read more about MSC Flaminia accident in our previous articles.