–no one injured
QUICK action by crew members averted what could have been a major catastrophe after a fire broke out in the engine room of the MV Lady Northcote ferry yesterday afternoon. The vessel, which was coming from the North West, was heading to the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD)’s Goods Wharf at Kingston carrying 49 passengers and 13 crew members, along with vehicles and goods, when the captain relayed to port authorities that there was a fire aboard the vessel. There was no reported injury to anyone, but a vehicle was scorched by the fire.
The vessel and its passengers were towed to the Kingstown wharf by pilot boats and tugs which responded to its distress call.
Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn yesterday inspected the vessel after it was brought into the docks, then told media operatives that the craft had experienced a leakage of fuel from a faulty vault, which ignited the exhaust manifold, thus starting the fire that burned the view window of the fuel tanks.
The entire engine room was subsequently engulfed in flames, the minister said, adding that it took the crew at least twenty minutes to put the fire out, although they had it under control.
He noted that the paintwork of the boat also contributed to the extent of the fire. According to him, the vessel was not damaged as a result of the fire because, immediately after receiving word of the fire, the engines were shut off and safety procedures were immediately employed. The fire fighting procedures were also followed, and all fire extinguishers on board were pressed into action in an effort to extinguish the fire.
He explained that everyone on the vessel at the time of the mishap was issued with a life jacket, and the pilot immediately shut down the engines.
According to Benn, despite the crew’s ability, they could not prevent the vessel from drifting to the Stabroek Market area because of the loss of power on board. The vessel was nevertheless, carried back to the Transport and Harbours Wharf at Kingstown by the pilot boats and tugs.
Minister Benn said there is presently no definite word on the extent of damage to the engines, but he pointed out that those will be determined after the vessel and the engine have been inspected by engineers.
Cost of fixing the vessel and bringing it back into operation will also depend on the engineers’ recommendation, because the vessel is the oldest in the fleet of the Transport and Harbours Department, being almost 69 years in existence.
Finding parts for this particular vessel has always been a challenge for the T&HD, the minister added. He reminded that during the fire at the storage bond of the department last year, most of the spares that were lost were related to the Lady Northcote.
The vessel provides a fortnightly service to Port Kaituma in the North West District, and the minister hopes that there is little damage to the vessel’s engine, so that it could be ready in time for its next voyage to the hinterland location as scheduled.
Following the incident yesterday, officials from the T&HD’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) were present during the inspection of the vessel. The fire chief, the head of the Coast Guard and the Harbour Master were also present at the Kingstown Wharf yesterday afternoon.
Two weeks ago, the Maritime Administration Department, coast guard and the rest of the search and rescue apparatus of Guyana went into operation mode after an unlicensed vessel, the Chrisann V, embarked on a voyage amidst bad weather conditions on land and at sea, and eventually sank.
Several persons were rescued from that sea disaster, but two persons, including the boat captain and owner, are still missing. Yesterday Minister Benn said that the search and rescue operation has been called off and the search and rescue team is ready to effect a recovery effort should there be any information on a sighting.