The U.S. Coast Guard has announced progress in the salvage and recovery operation on board the Grande Costa D’Avorio following last month’s fatal fire in Port Newark, New Jersey.
Monday’s update from the Coast Guard revealed that all vehicles have been removed from the cargo decks of the ship, as well as all 134 freestanding containers that were located beyond the area impacted by the fire.
The Coast Guard said salvage and post fire recovery operations continue “at an efficient pace” with cargo removal operations ongoing. Teams have conducted risk assessments for environmental protection and maintaining ship stability. At this stage, the vessel remains in a stable condition and no fuel oil or hazardous material has released.
“Our partnerships played a crucial role in the swift response to the initial fire, and we continue to work jointly during this phase of recovery operations to accomplish significant milestones toward the completion of salvage operations,” said Capt. Zeita Merchant, the Federal On-Scene Coordinator and Captain of the Port of New York and New Jersey, “all stakeholders involved are laser-focused to ensuring the safety of the public and response personnel, mitigating environmental impacts and minimizing any impacts to the marine transportation system.”
The Italian-flagged Grande Costa D’Avorio, a combination roll-on/roll-off (ConRo) ship, caught fire on July 5, 2023, while loading used vehicles for export at Port Newark, New Jersey. Tragically, two firefighters were killed in the initial response and six others were injured. The fire burned for about six days before it was extinguished.
The ship’s operator reported that the ship was loaded with around 1,200 vehicles and 157 containers at the time of the fire, but no electric vehicles or hazardous cargo.
The investigation into the root causes and contributing factors is being led by the U.S. Coast Guard, along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and multiple other federal and state agencies.
Access to the area remains restricted, including to media.
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