The fire aboard the German-flagged oil and chemical tanker Annika has been extinguished, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
The vessel caught fire in the Baltic Sea on Friday, triggering a large-scale maritime rescue and firefighting operation that concluded successfully early Saturday morning. The 73-meter-long tanker, carrying approximately 640 tons of oil, reportedly experienced an explosion while anchored northeast of Kühlungsborn, Germany, in the Bay of Mecklenburg.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Bremen, operated by the German Society for the Rescue of Shipwrecked (DGzRS), coordinated the initial response. All seven crew members were safely evacuated by the rescue boat WILMA SIKORSKI shortly after 10 a.m. local time, ensuring zero casualties.
Several assets were deployed to combat the blaze, including the rescue cruiser ARKONA, the offshore recovery tugboat Baltic, and the multi-purpose ship Arkona. Despite ongoing firefighting efforts, the engine room remained ablaze throughout the day, prompting authorities to tow the vessel to Rostock for continued firefighting operations.
A spokesperson for the operation stated, “For operational reasons, the overall operational control has decided to continue firefighting at a berth on land. Rostock was chosen as the berth.”
By 7:32 p.m. Friday evening, Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies reported that the fire was largely under control and no longer spreading. The tanker was subsequently towed to Rostock’s bulk cargo port by two tugboats from a private salvage company, arriving at 1 a.m. on Saturday.
As a precaution, authorities closed the surrounding sea area and airspace within a 3 nautical mile radius. Germany’s Federal Accident Command assumed overall operational management, closely monitoring the ship’s condition, which was assessed as stable.
Once berthed, the Rostock and Lübeck fire brigades examined the ship’s interior and confirmed that the fire had been completely extinguished.
Initial assessments suggest the fire may have originated in the engine room, though a warehouse for paints and varnishes was also considered a possible source. The exact cause and origin of the fire have yet to be determined.
Importantly, the ship’s cargo remained unaffected by the fire. As a precautionary measure, an oil boom was placed around the Annika in the port to prevent potential water contamination. Divers were also deployed to examine the hull for any damage.
The operation involved approximately 120 emergency personnel. With the situation under control, the emergency command has concluded its overall operations management, transferring responsibility to the Rostock Port Authority.
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