Classification
- Incident Type: Fire
- Severity: High
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Diamond Highway |
| Vessel Type | Ro-Ro / Car Carrier |
| Flag State | Panama [PA] |
| IMO Number | 9293636 |
| Gross Tonnage | |
| LOA (m) | |
| Crew Size | 25 |
| Charterer | K Line |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2019-06-15 |
| Location | Near Reed Bank, west of Palawan |
| Region | South China Sea |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | 0 |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage |
Key facts
- The fire was reported on Saturday night, 15 June 2019, near Reed Bank.
- All 25 crew abandoned ship and were picked up by Canopus Leader.
- K Line reported that the disembarked crew had sustained no harm.
- Harbor Star's tug Mimosa began firefighting and towing on 17 June; additional tugs helped extinguish the blaze on 19 June.
- By March 2024, Diamond Highway was being dismantled at Punta Engaño, Cebu.
Narrative
Diamond Highway was sailing from Singapore to Batangas when a fire broke out near Reed Bank on 15 June 2019. The Philippine Coast Guard received a distress alert and deployed BRP Cabra. All 25 crew abandoned ship and were rescued by the passing Canopus Leader, bound for Thailand. Charterer K Line subsequently reported that all crew had disembarked without harm. GMA’s Coast Guard account gives Saturday, 15 June, while gCaptain’s account says Sunday; the calendar-date discrepancy remains unresolved. Coast Guard account K Line statement gCaptain
Harbor Star Shipping Services stated that Mimosa conducted firefighting and took the abandoned vessel in tow on 17 June, preventing it from drifting towards populated or protected areas. Lucida, Markab and Merak joined the response, and the salvor reported the fire extinguished on 19 June. Harbor Star disclosure
The damaged ship was later towed from Subic Bay to Cebu in January 2020. SunStar reported that Typhoon Rai stranded it in December 2021 and that it was being dismantled at Punta Engaño by March 2024. Those later events are separate from the initiating 2019 fire. SunStar, March 2024
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2019-06-15 night | Fire broke out near Reed Bank. |
| 2019-06-16 | The crew abandoned ship, according to later court-recorded allegations; all 25 were rescued. |
| 2019-06-17 | Mimosa began firefighting and towing, according to Harbor Star. |
| 2019-06-19 | Harbor Star reported the fire extinguished after assistance from three additional tugs. |
| 2020-01 | The vessel was towed from Subic Bay to Cebu. |
| By 2024-03-09 | SunStar reported ongoing dismantling at Punta Engaño. |
Investigation
No published final marine casualty investigation report was identified. A 2023 US court opinion records Ford's allegations concerning fire systems, communications, crew response and cargo loss. These allegations were not findings establishing the cause of the fire, and are not treated as confirmed contributing factors.
References
- Harbor Star stock-exchange disclosure: Diamond Highway salvage
- GMA: Coast Guard account of the Reed Bank fire
- Automotive Logistics: Fire and K Line crew statement
- US District Court opinion, 8 August 2023
- SunStar: Dismantling at Punta Engaño, March 2024