Navy rescues 20 crew members in vessel fire

By Ehigimetor Igbaugba

Twenty crew members were rescued by naval operatives while one remain missing from a Motor Vessel (MV) Chimba Express that caught fire along the Calabar Channel on Monday evening.

The rescued operation was revealed in a statement by Nigerian Navy on Tuesday,

The vessel was en route from Gabon to Calabar with scrap materials and other logistics before it caught fire, the Base Operations Officer, Lt.-Cdr Kelechi Ahunanya, disclosed in a statement in Calabar on Tuesday.

He confirmed that the Chimba Express, with 21 people comprising 14 Nigerians and seven Cameroonians on board, still had one person missing as at the time of this report.

According to him, the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) OSE, while on routine patrol, responded to a distress call at about 1300 hours from the vessel.

“On arrival, thick smoke was observed emanating from the vessel, prompting immediate rescue operations.

“Crew members who had abandoned ship, as well as those stranded on deck, were rescued using life buoys.

“Twenty crew members were successfully rescued and administered first aid, ” the officer said.

According to him, the Chief Engineer, who reportedly jumped overboard due to fear of an explosion, remained missing, and a search and rescue operation was ongoing.

He added that the rescue operation had the support of personnel from Forward Operating Base, IBAKA, Naval Security Station 030 Houseboat, and local fishermen.

“NNS OSE also deployed portable pumps to combat the fire, which affected the midship and aft sections of the vessel,” he added.

Ahunanya reaffirmed the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to the safety of seafarers and maritime assets in line with the Chief of the Naval Staff’s Mission.(NAN)