Experts tackling fertiliser ship fire report positivelyThe work of the experts onboard is being supported with a helicopter flown in from Mali, last Sunday, which will be used both to ferry technicians and experts between the Cheshire and their base on Gran Canaria and supply them with equipment and materials for their work inside the ship.
“The step being taken now is to evaluate the situation, to quantify the damage, and see if the ship functions by itself or not, among other aspects, to then proceed with the cooling and to take the rest of the decisions”, points out sources from Bibby Line. Afterwards, they say, once the combustion is controlled, they can speed up the work extinguishing the chemical reaction, “it will be towed to about 30 miles from the coast, as long as it is totally safe, as it is easier if you have the resources nearby.”
The work of cooling the chemical combustion is centered around holds two and three, as the reactions that caused fires in four and five are already extinguished. Combustion is continuing in hold number three and white smoke is coming from hold number two, say sources from the Maritime Rescue service.
Experts say that extinguishing the fire completely from the outside is not possible as it is necessary to be on board the ship, “because pouring water over the load does not work as the chemical mass must be punctured with special spears designed to inject water into the heat sources, which are detected using thermographic cameras
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