VietNamNet Bridge - Chemicals in containers in the foreign sunken ship offshore Vung Tau city leaked out, causing fires. The authorities had to mobilize professional rescue forces to control the fires for dozens of hours.

Two foreign ships collide off coast of Vung Tau coast

After a collision with cargo vessel Eleni (Marshall Island) on the morning of November 8, more than 700 containers on board of the Heung A Dradon vessel (South Korea) were stranded and some drifted at sea.

In the afternoon of November 9, when the authorities were trying to salvage the floating containers, the tides rose and spilled into several containers containing chemicals remaining on board. The containers started fuming and flared into fire. Due to the high risk of fire, explosion and environmental disaster on a large scale off the coast of Vung Tau, the Korean ship owners had to ask for assistance of the professional rescue forces.

Under the command of the Vung Tau Port Authority, the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Border Guard Forces and the Anti-Fire Police Agency, two fire-fighting and tugboats and a group of experts were sent to the scene to control the fires.

The fire was controlled on the morning of November 10. However, due to the chemicals in the containers may blaze up any time, the rescue boats were ordered to stay there to control the fire throughout the night.

Experts said that the Korean ship contains a large amount of oil so the risk of fire and explosion is very high. The authorities have to ask for help from American experts.

By noon of November 10, the fire was controlled but to reduce the temperature of containers, rescuers still sprayed water to the containers. Since the day the accident occurred, the rescue forces have mobilized another 6 big vessels to tow and salvage the sunken containers.

The Heung A Dragon was carrying containers from Hong Kong to HCM City on Thursday, when it collided with the Marshall Islands vessel Eneli, which was departing from Phu My Port in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

The clash resulted in the sinking of the Heung A Dragon, with about 68 containers left floating in the sea. So far 24 have been found. 

The Eleni ship has been seized for investigation.

VNE