The 6,750 teu box ship, MSC Flaminia
Update (Tues. 7/24/12): Blaze Contained on MSC Flaminia
Wednesday Update: Photos Reveal Damage to MSC Flaminia After Blast, Firefighting Efforts Underway
Tuesday Morning Update: MSC Flaminia operator, NSB Niederelbe Reederei NSB expressed some good news for the three injured seafarers from Saturday’s blast.
In a statement, the company said that two of the less-injured crewmembers are being treated in a hospital in the Azores and both are expected to be released later in the week. The third, more seriously burned crewmember was successfully transferred to a burn unit in Portugal where he will undergo treatment. The remaining crewmembers remain on the DS Crown and are expected to arrive in Falmouth, UK in the next day or two.
Meanwhile, the MS Hanjin Ottawa, Flaminia’s sister ship, arrived at the site Tuesday morning but has not yet been able to assess the damage to the Flaminia. SMIT salvage tug Fairmount Expedition and Angian Sovereign are still in transit.
“This tragedy onboard MSC FLAMINIA has deeply afflicted me,” said Helmut Ponath, CEO of Reederei NSB. “Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased and the missing sailor as well as with the recued and their families. We are in constant and close contact with the relatives of all our crewmembers and passengers.”
Monday Update: Additional details are starting to trickle in Monday about the explosion on board the MSC Flaminia that occurred over the weekend in the mid-Atlantic, killing two and injuring three others.
The MSC Flaminia ablaze in the mid-Atlantic.
The operator of MSC Flaminia, Reederei NSB of Germany, said that the vessel suffered an explosion as crews were battling a fire that broke out in the vessel’s number 4 cargo hatch. The ship was transiting the north Atlantic Ocean on its way from the Charleston to Antwerp with 2,876 containers.
As gCaptain had reported earlier, the explosion forced all crew to abandon ship and prompted the Falmouth Coastguard to broadcast an alert to all vessels in the area asking for assistance. The very large crude carrier, DS Crown, was first on the scene and was able to recover 24 crew from a liferaft.
A total of four crewmembers were reported to have sustained injuries and one crewmember was missing. It was later reported that one of the four crewmembers had died from the injuries sustained.
On Monday, the three injured crewmembers were transfered to the MSC Stella and later taken by helicopter to a hospital in Azores. In a statement, NSB Niederelbe says that two of the men are in stable condition and one has been transferred to Portugal to receive care.
The remaining 18 crew members, together with two passengers, remain onboard the DS Crown which is expected to arrive at the UK port of Falmouth on Wednesday evening.
NSB Niederelbe has also revealed that it has contracted SMIT Salvage of Rotterdam to lead salvage operations. SMIT has already dispatched two large firefighting tugs to the Flaminia. The first, Fairmount Expedition, is expected to arrive in the area on Tuesday evening while the second tug, Anglian Sovereign, equipped with additional firefighting equipment, will leave Inverness, Scotland, on Monday and is expected to arrive on scene either late Thursday or early Friday.
NSB Niederelbe also says that an additional vessel in their fleet has been re-routed to help support the salvage operations.
No word yet on what may have caused the fire and explosion or the extent of the damage to the vessel, Reederei NSB said, adding that we will have to await salvage crews to arrive on scene to make those determinations.
NSB Niederelbe operates a fleet of 109 ships with a total capacity of more than 460,000 teu.
I am very sorry for NSB , and MSC FALMINIA; GOD will help crew and vessel.
Lord, hear our prayers and extend your healing power to the crew and members of NSB ( MSC FLAMINIA).
hi……mzta
its a loss.
no no no i have a container on that ship!
Please help us pray for immediate rescue of my brother. He is the only missing crew on board MSC FLAMINIA. May he be rescued soon.
ano nga agency Lon?sa senator sya sumasakay?
huo day. tani end na contract ya kag thurs gani inugpanaog na do. Prayers lang gid subong ang kabulig gid day kay hasta subong wala pa.
God is Good. Lord hear our prayers please send your Holy Spirit to the missing crew of MSC FLAMINIA for his safety and fast rescue.
Thank you so much day. May the Lord give us strength to overcome this all.
ano ang complete name sg brother mo?
Ramon Parcon day.
God is good po. I heard also from my father na gusto nya na mgretire July18 sana. he's the closest friend of my father at msc flaminia.. like us, prayers lang jud ug pagtuo sa ginoo. i hope ma-rescue na siya as soon as possible. ug unta hatagan pa siya ug more strength and his safety. Lord Jesus, please help this family as you help us because we believe in you Lord Jesus.
Yes day. God is really good. He's really planning to retire na. Pero di namib akalain sa ganitong paraan. Thank you so much for the prayer.
All our prayers to the crew of MSC Flaminia and their families, GOD is our refuge in times like this….from Hanjin Geneva.
wat happened?
Let's pray for the safety of our fellow seafarer.
the missing crew of msc flaminia is ramon parcon as what his sister says and personally talk to her. no matter what happened it’s inevitable….am quite shock… can hardly believe, but if God’s will… i do… i know ramonito very well since the very beginning of his seaman’s life.” HE IS MY ADOPTED SON” as everyone knows.. i’ll miss his smiles, our togetherness and endless jokes. Prayers within me and hope for everything will be fine……..