VICUNA

15 November 2004

TANK EXPLOSION

 

 

VESSEL & Interveners

   
       
1 - IMO Number : 8100076 2 - Name of Ship : VICUNA
3 - Call Sign : CBVC 4 - Gross Tonnage : 11636
5 - Type of Ship : Chemical Tanker Ship 6 -Year of Build : 1983
7 - Flag : Chile 8 -Status of Ship : In Service
       
9 -   Registred Owner : Sociedad Naviera Ultragas Ltda. 10 - Address : Casilla Postal 193-D
20~ Piso
Edificio Euro-Centro
Calle Moneda 970,
193-D Santiago, Chile
11 - Ship Manager :

Administradora de Naves Humboldt Ltda.

12 - Address : Calle Blanco 737
Valparaiso
Chile
13 - Classification Society : DET NORSKE VERITAS 14 - P&I

Britannia Steamship insurance Association Ld

15 - Surveyor :   16 - Sollicitor :  
17 - Hull Underwriters :   18 - Cargo Underwriters :  
19 - Others :   20 - Others :  
     

NB : Information 1 to 14 are extracted from the database EQUASIS. Information are updated at the date of the casualty.

Information from 15 to 20 were found on public websites

 

SUMMARY OF THE CASUALTY
 

 

The 15th November 2004, a fuel tanker explosion at the southern Brazilian port of Paranagua causes four crew members on board missing.

Three consecutive explosions were heard around 7:30 p.m. (2230 GMT), ripping the vessel into two, according to a local radio. The tanker with Chilean flag was being loaded with fuel at the time. Access to the port was blocked by troops.

 

 

LOCATION
 

 

 
Agrandir le plan

 

 

DAY TO DAY  
   

Date :

  Source :  
 

Date :

18 November 2004 Source : Sidney Morning Herald

 

Oil leak in Brazilian port after ship explosion

November 18, 2004 - 8:31AM

Workers rushed to avert an environmental disaster as an oil slick spread from a cargo ship that exploded and broke in half at a port in southern Brazil. Workers found dead fish and dolphins in the toxic slick of fuel oil, diesel fuel and methanol that leaked from the ship, said Luiz Eduardo Cheida, environmental secretary for Parana state. The slick, which blackened rocks and beaches, stretched for more than 20 kilometres from the port of Paranagua, 625 kilometres south-west of Rio de Janeiro, Cheida said. The Chilean-flagged Vicuna exploded on Monday night while unloading its 11 million litre cargo of methanol. Rescue workers recovered the bodies of two sailors yesterday, while two other crew members remained missing feared dead. An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the accident. Investigators have 30 days to submit their report to the government and police. If found guilty in the accident, terminal owner Cataline or shipowner Ultragas could face a fine of up to $US55 million ($A71.27 million). Cheida said he was dismayed after a helicopter tour of the port and the neighbouring bays of Paranagua, Antonina and Guaraquecaba. "We saw two things that alarmed us," Cheida said. "The size of the oil slick, which stretched for more than 20 kilometres, and the islands in the bays that had beaches and rocks covered with oil." Experts with the Environmental Institute of Parana state estimate that up to four million litres of methanol, fuel oil and diesel fuel leaked into the sea, Cheida said. Environmental officials indefinitely banned many maritime activities and grounded the area's 3,000 fishermen. "It's prohibited to fish, swim or take any wildlife from the three bays," Cheida said.

Parana environmental officials said they were concerned that terminal owner Cataline had too few workers, few buoyant barriers to contain the spill and waited almost 12 hours to deploy those barriers. Cheida said the company's response to the spill was "less than satisfactory" and yesterday ordered Cataline to increase the number of workers trying to contain the spill from 60 to 350.

 

Date :

17 November 2004 Source :

Independent On Line

 

Brazil - Two sailors died and two were still missing following an explosion onboard a fuel tanker earlier this week at the southern Brazilian port of Paranagua, the local fire department said.

On Tuesday two bodies were found floating in the bay by rescuers combing the area for four missing sailors from the Chilean-flagged tanker Vicuna, which burst into flames on Monday after two massive explosions tore the ship in two while it was unloading methanol.

Initial reports said six were missing from the crew of 28 mostly Chilean sailors aboard the ship, which a day later remained partially sunk in the bay.

Twenty-four crew members were rescued in the aftermath of the explosion, while four sailors were declared missing.

Referring to the two remaining missing crew members, Lieutenant Eduardo Pinheiro of the Rio de Janeiro fire department said "the problem is knowing whether the two gone missing are still aboard the ship or if they're in the water."

He said boarding the ship was very dangerous since there could be more explosions. "Fire is still raging in the cargo hold and engine rooms, with lots of smoke coming out."

"We have no idea of when the fire will be put out," Pinheiro said, adding that there was still too much fuel on the ship for safe boarding.

At the time of the explosions, the ship had unloaded nine-million litres of methanol, Pinheiro said, adding that the ship's full load was 14-million litre.

He said the ship has been circled by protective barriers to contain leaking fuel and fishing has been banned in the bay until further notice. A few dead fish were already seen floating nearby, he added. - Sapa-AFP

 

 

CAUSE OF THE DAMAGE  
   

 

The cause of the blast is under investigation.

 

   
Sources :  
 

 

COSTS  

Hull :

TBA Cargo : TBA
Liability : TBA Fees : TBA
Others : TBA    
       

Sources :

     
 

 

PHOTOS  

 

 

COMMENTS  
TBA

 

 

 

NB : All the Information mentioned in this page are extracted from public and free access web sites or papers, magazines, etc. Our sources are mentioned. If any problem, please contact the webmaster.

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