MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Korean vessel fire frustrates Uruguay’s cruise season official launching

The vessel burning in the bay of Montevideo. (Photo credit El Pais)

A fire which broke out in a Korean flagged fishing vessel docked in the port of Montevideo and which was still burning early Monday forced the suspension of the official launching of Uruguay’s cruise season.

All 38 crew members of the fishing vessel were rescued but since she was fully loaded with fuel and ammonia for the cold storage system, Uruguay port authorities together with the Fire Department decided to tow her out into the bay where she remains.

Flames and billows of smoke in the windy morning could be still seen. The intensity of the fire also decided Uruguayan officials to suspend the inauguration ceremony for the cruise season which was expected to take place Monday mid morning.

A cruise vessel Silver Whisper docked in one of Montevideo’s peers was moved in the middle of the night and two others scheduled to arrive Monday  the MS Veendam were told to steam ahead to Buenos Aires.

“As long as the wind keeps blowing as now, there’s no risk, but we must remain alert because ammonia in the fishing vessel system could leak and we don’t want to run that risk”, said Alberto Diaz, head of Uruguay’s ports authority, ANP.

In more than one occasion Korean vessels which still operate with ammonia have suffered accidents while docked in Montevideo and depending on wind conditions have spread toxic clouds to the surrounding area.

Although normal port activities did not suffer much, “for the cruise industry it has been a blow” admitted Lilian Kechichian, Deputy Minister for Tourism, “one cruise left earlier and two others had to sail on”.

Diaz said that money losses for the port of Montevideo have been considerable particularly on the cruise-day inauguration, “but these fishing vessels have insurance and we will begin legal actions”.

The head of Uruguay ports’ authority also admitted that “this situation is recurrent and has become of great concern”, because both the Korean vessel and another Uruguayan flagged vessel which caught fire last week and was a complete loss, “were operational and not abandoned or derelict”

Diaz said he believes there could be an input of “negligence” but not intentionality. However “rules and regulations will have to be reviewed and soon”.

Uruguayan fire fighters toiled during seven hours from the dock and from tug boats before deciding to leave the Korean vessel in the middle of the bay.

“We have to be very cautious: tug boats are exposed to the heat so we can’t get too close. So we rest for a while, let the tugs to cool and again we attack”, said Carlos Nicola, Fire Department Public Relations.

Besides the normal fire combat teams, there was a hazardous materials and respiratory protection groups on alert for any immediate rescue operation said Nicola who described the vessel as a “complete loss”.

“We’ve manage to contain the flames but we can’t say what will happen with any hazardous materials on board”, underlined Nicola.