MV Akaki. Photo: MarineTraffic.com/rick voice
Authorities in Brazil are investigating an explosion that reportedly occurred in a cargo hold of a bulk carrier near the port of Paranaguá.
The Paranaguá Port Authority says it received a report at about 3 p.m. Monday stating that the Cyprus-flagged MV Akaki had suffered an explosion in one of its cargo holds at the port’s anchorage no. 1 in the Bay of Paranaguá. The port authority said that the ship had loaded 65,ooo tons of corn on Monday afternoon, and later the vessel was moved to the nearby anchorage to await fuel before its voyage to Kaohsiung, China.
The 84,000 dwt MV Akaki was built in 2011 and is 235 meters long.
A video circulating online allegedly shows the aftermath of the explosion, with a thick white cloud of smoke trailing the vessel.
So far there have been no reports of injuries or pollution. The vessel will remain in the area as teams assess the damage to vessel and clear it sail.
The port authority has said investigators are looking to determine if a build up of gases in a confined space may have contributed the explosion.
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