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Accidents

Barzan (2015)

A fire in cargo hold 2 of the container ship Barzan was controlled at sea off Cabo Finisterre despite failures in the fixed CO2 system and starboard fire main.

Classification

  • Incident Type: Fire
  • Severity: Medium
  • Casualty classification: Serious Marine Casualty

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameBarzan
Vessel TypeContainer
Flag StateMalta [MT]
IMO Number9708851
Gross Tonnage195636
LOA (m)400.0
Year Built2015
Crew Size24

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date2015-09-07
LocationApproximately 60 nautical miles off Cabo Finisterre, Spain
RegionAtlantic Ocean
Coordinates44.1167, -9.2000
Fatalities0
Injuries0
Missing
Direct DamageMinor structural damage in cargo hold no. 2; the CO2 system and starboard fire main required repair.
Economic Damage

The report records no injuries. It does not provide a monetary damage estimate or a separate missing-person count.

Key facts

  • At about 22:09 local time on 7 September 2015, a fire alarm indicated a possible fire in the aft part of cargo hold 2.
  • The crew used boundary cooling and the water drenching system, then released 231 CO2 bottles. Leaks prevented the required quantity of gas from reaching the hold.
  • A leaking expansion joint forced the crew to isolate the starboard fire main, which made the starboard water drenching system unusable.
  • The fire was controlled and Barzan reached Rotterdam on 10 September. The Port of Rotterdam fire brigade extinguished the remaining fire on 14 September.
  • Transport Malta found minor structural damage between frames 142 and 143 in cargo hold 2, together with burnt electrical cabling and lighting fixtures.

Narrative

Barzan was about 60 nautical miles off Cabo Finisterre on 7 September 2015 when its fire alarm activated at about 22:09 and indicated a possible fire in the aft part of cargo hold 2. The master sounded the general alarm, stopped the hold ventilation, and organized emergency teams for boundary cooling and water drenching. The crew identified the heat source near the aft part of bay 19 and stopped the vessel to keep the smoke away from the accommodation.

The master confirmed from the cargo plan and IMDG packing list that seawater and CO2 could be used. At 23:26, the crew released the 231 bottles assigned to the hold. A loud bang and a dense cloud of CO2 followed, but leaks in the system prevented the required amount of gas from reaching cargo hold 2. The vessel also experienced blackouts during the response. Water leaking into the starboard under-deck passageway was traced to an expansion joint in the starboard fire main, which was isolated at 02:35 on 8 September. The loss of that line made the starboard water drenching system unavailable, so the crew rigged additional hoses from the port side.

The fire was reported under control at 04:45. Barzan monitored the hold, received stability advice, and diverted to Rotterdam. The vessel arrived safely on 10 September. Cargo operations were later stopped while the Port of Rotterdam fire brigade investigated the hold, and the remaining fire was declared extinguished on 14 September. A post-fire survey found structural damage in cargo hold 2 between frames 142 and 143, as well as burnt electrical cabling and lighting fixtures.

The Marine Safety Investigation Unit could not determine the actual ignition source because the affected containers had been discharged before investigators boarded. The declared dangerous-goods containers in the hold were not near the seat of the fire and were accounted for intact. The report considered it possible that containers near the fire contained undeclared dangerous goods, but this remained an investigation hypothesis rather than a confirmed cause.

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
2015-09-07 22:09The fire alarm indicated a possible fire in the aft part of cargo hold 2.
2015-09-07 23:26The crew released the CO2 supply assigned to cargo hold 2.
2015-09-08 02:35The leaking starboard fire main was isolated.
2015-09-08 04:45MRCC Finisterre was advised that the fire was under control.
2015-09-10Barzan arrived safely at Rotterdam.
2015-09-14The Port of Rotterdam fire brigade declared the remaining fire extinguished.

Contributing factors

FactorEvidence statusDescription
Ignition source or dangerous cargoSuspectedThe investigation could not determine the actual cause. It considered that containers near the fire may have contained undeclared IMDG cargo.
CO2 system leaksConfirmed findingLeaks in the CO2 distribution system prevented the required quantity of gas from reaching cargo hold 2.
Starboard fire main failureConfirmed findingA poorly fitted coupling and a leaking expansion joint forced isolation of the starboard fire main and disabled the starboard water drenching system.
Emergency response equipment and controlsConfirmed findingAn incorrectly activated emergency stop, a generator synchronisation trip, and mismatched hose and coupling sizes complicated the response.

Investigation

The Marine Safety Investigation Unit of Transport Malta published Marine Safety Investigation Report No. 18/2016. It concluded that the actual cause of the fire could not be established, identified failures in the CO2 and fire-main systems, and made recommendations to the flag State Administration and the vessel's managers.

References

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