MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falkland Islands: Weekly Penguin News update

Headlines: Ship burns for days; Get behind the Big Salute; Volcanic ash over Islands; Man guilty of sex with child.

Ship burns for daysA FIRE has blazed for most of the week aboard a Korean ship. No crew were injured in the fire, which was first reported on Sunday, evening but it became a major operation, involving personnel from the government, private sector and military. At 7.35pm on Sunday a report was received that the Ocean 8had an engine room fire while the vessel was in Berkeley Sound for transhipping operations. Early on it was reported as a small control panel fire, however it quickly got out of control. As the fire grew the ship moved from the reefer it had been transhipping to and sat on its own anchor. The 36 crew abandoned ship and boarded another vessel in Berkeley Sound; they were later ferried to Stanley and were accommodated in Lookout Lodge and the Ross Complex. The first crew from the Fire and Rescue Service arrived on the scene around 9.30pm by which time the fire could be seen burning through the deck and bridge. Senior firefighter Andrew Miller reported on Monday that a team of four had extinguished the fire on the outside of the ship but that a major fire still burned in the accommodation area, which appeared to be contained For the next two days crews continued to work on cooling the vessel and waited for the fire to burn itself out. However on Wednesday morning, Glenda Watson from Long Island farm reported seeing "flames leaping up into the air" from the ship. She commented: "It all looked fine when I first looked out around 7am but by a quarter to eight there was thick black smoke pouring out from it. I don't think there's going to be much of that ship left." Yesterday morning the Director of Fisheries, John Barton, said reports from the scene indicated that a small fire continued to burn on Ocean 8. He commented: "The Fire Brigade continued to douse the fire from launches yesterday. The British Forces tug Giessenstroomarrived on the scene late yesterday afternoon and assisted with firefighting and provided a base for the firefighters overnight." The ship was reported to have a 10° list, however Mr Barton said she appeared to be stable. He added: "The ship will need to be surveyed and if considered to be safe may eventually be moved to FIPASS where she can be moored securely, whilst the owners and insurers make arrangements for her removal." More on page 2 Get behind the Big SaluteBFBS RADIO and TV worldwide have kicked off the first annual Big Salute and this is the weekend for Falkland Islanders to get behind the event. All funds raised will be distributed among five forces-related charities: BLESMA, Combat Stress, Headley Court, St Dunstan's and Veterans' Aid. A live on air auction takes place in the Islands today (Friday). All day listeners can bid for items up for grabs donated by supporters from the civilian community as well as some 'money just can't buy' items from the personnel at Mount Pleasant. The auction line is 75678. The fun continues on Saturday with the Big Salute canoe race, a fancy dress event taking place on Gull Island Pond, and the Big Salute Big Night Out in the Gull and Penguin club, featuring local favourites. The Fighting Pig Band and BFBS Radio presenters Matt Jagger, Jessie Aru and Dave Simon on the decks. Volcanic ash over IslandsASH from an erupting volcano in southern Chile has been seen in the Falklands. Towns and villages near the Chaiten volcano, were evacuated following the eruption which began on Friday, the first time in some 9,000 years. The ash passed over the Falklands on Saturday, Principal Met Officer Dan Boon confirmed: "Since then it has taken a more easterly track across Argentina and out into the Atlantic ocean with some low concentrations of ash, high in the atmosphere, circulating south to be over East Falkland on Wednesday." Mr Boon said the Met Office would continue to monitor the ash cloud, using products from the Environment Monitoring and Research Centre (EMARC) in the UK. He commented: "The latest predictions from EMARC suggests further low level concentrations of ash, high in the atmosphere, may pass close to or over the Falklands during the weekend." Man guilty of sex with childA YOUNG Stanley man was found guilty of sexual activity with a child on Wednesday, following a day long trial. At the opening of the trial Principal Crown Counsel Ros Cheek said that it was common ground that the 15-year-old girl involved had given her consent and that Kyle Joshua (18) had admitted having sexual intercourse with her. "It falls to the prosecution to prove that Mr Joshua was aware of the girl's age," said Ms Cheek. Mr Joshua had taken the girl who, the prosecution alleged, he knew to be under the age of 16 to his mother's flat specifically to have sex with her; he had taken advantage of a friendship, Ms Cheek said, adding that his actions had been predatory. In a police interview Mr Joshua initially said that he had no idea of the girl's age and later said he thought she was 16 or 17, said Ms Cheek: "But he was inconsistent and unbelievable as he struggled to get himself out of the situation." Recorded evidence from and cross examination of the complainant was viewed by the court. Giving evidence on Monday, Mr Joshua said he thought the complainant, who had attended the same school as him for several years, was 16 as he had seen her smoking, she had facial piercing and dressed like someone older. In delivering her guilty verdict Senior Magistrate Alison Thompson said she considered the complainant a credible witness who gave impressive evidence that could be relied upon. Mr Joshua however was "unimpressive, confused and contradictory," and had been "positively and deliberately evasive." She said she did not believe that he was not aware of the complainant's age, or that the girl had asked him for sex as he had claimed. Miss Thompson rejected Mr Joshua's evidence and was satisfied that he could not have formed a firm belief that the complainant was 16, that he knew her to be at school and therefore knew she could be in the 15 to 16 age group and that gave him the responsibility to find out. "It is a serious sexual offence," said Miss Thompson who will sentence Mr Joshua on Wednesday, to allow Social Services time to update a pre-sentence report. Mr Joshua will also be sentenced for three criminal damage offences to which he has pleaded guilty.