A rescue operation was launched after a Grimaldi Group con-ro vessel suffered two deck fires in the English Channel.
The blazes broke out on the 3,515-lane-metre Grande Brasile (built 2000) on Tuesday 15 miles (25 km) off the coast of Kent, England, causing it to go adrift.
The ship had left Antwerp in Belgium on Tuesday, bound for Le Havre in France.
The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) was called out to the scene, together with lifeboats.
AIS data showed the Malta-flagged vessel as “not under command” on Wednesday morning, moving at 1 knot.
Operator Grimaldi Deep Sea told TradeWinds that the first fire broke out on a deck in the morning.
“All competent authorities were immediately informed and the crew activated on-board fire-suppression measures successfully containing the fire. Meanwhile, two tugboats were dispatched to assist and secure the vessel with lines,” it said.
Later that day, the crew informed the authorities that a second fire had broken out on another deck.
As a result, the 28-member crew was evacuated onto the vessel’s lifeboat at 2000 hours local time.
They were picked up by a tug and taken to Ramsgate.
All seafarers are safe and no injuries have been reported, Grimaldi said.
“At present, tugboat operations are underway, with their fire hoses being used for boundary cooling to contain and limit the fire,” the operator added.
Smit Salvage personnel were expected to arrive on-site around midday to board the vessel. No fuel spill has been detected at sea, nor does the ship’s stability appear to be compromised, the company said.
“At this time, the cause of the fire remains unknow, but the company will conduct a full investigation in close cooperation with all relevant authorities,” it added.
A tug and a French vessel with firefighting capabilities were also at the scene.
A Dutch fixed-wing aircraft was assisting with monitoring operations.
A spokesperson for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution said its lifeboats had been called to the rescue, but had since been stood down and had returned to shore.
The Grande Brasile is insured through the Britannia P&I club in the UK.
The ship has a clean port state control detention record over the past 17 years.
No deficiencies were found during three safety checks carried out last year.(Copyright)
