Vessel suffers devastating fire
reportedly due to explosion off Yeman on 21st Mar 2006. Hyundai Fortune is a Container carrier.
Now this ship reportedly stands reduced to mere rubbles as explosion rocked the vessel setting the containers on board on fire. The devastation has sent shockwaves to the spines of the underwriters, estimated to be one of the biggest container claims ever.
Marine cargo experts estimate that cargo values could be at least $300m - three times as much as the most pessimistic first estimates. Here is some report on the devastation : On 21st March it was reported
o that the vessel in lat 12 40N, long 47 23E, about 120 miles east of Aden, 60 miles off coast, with fire on stern, some containers lost overboard.
o salvage services are being rendered to c.c. Hyundai Fortune under Lloyd's Open Form by SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage BV
o The ship's astern is ablaze. Laden containers are said to be dispersed around the vessel which may be containing explosive materials.
o Ships of coalition forces in the area have mobilized to offer the necessary assistance to the burning vessel. Ships in the vicinity are advised to take caution and to keep clear for safety purposes.
o it was reported that on Mar 24 SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage moved into and closer towards the site of c.c. Hyundai Fortune.
o Fire-fighting tug Wadi Hassan with an initial salvage team on board of seven salvage/fire-fighting experts and basic support equipment arrived on site yesterday afternoon. The salvage team arrived in Yemen and departed Aden on the tug, still within 24 hours of the initial blast, arriving at the casualty, some 140 miles off Aden, within 24 hours of departure from Amsterdam Airport
Lloyd’s underwriters anticipate the claims for the cargo to be around $100 million and claims for the replacement of the vessel to be close to $80 million.
o Explosions that ripped apart the c.c. Hyundai Fortune were so powerful that the original theory of fireworks catching alight is being discounted in some circles. Instead, experts are turning their attention to other explanations after studying new photographs of the containership that reveal in far more detail the full extent of the devastation. The rear section of the 5,551 teu vessel has been almost totally destroyed by the fire that has blazed for the past week. Damage to the hull, which is almost split in two, has raised suspicions "that it may not have been fireworks" which caused the accident, the TT Club's chief executive Paul Neagle told a press conference to announce the mutual insurer's latest results. The stern of the Hyundai Fortune has been burned out and the hull holed, raising questions about whether some external force was responsible. Fireworks or other hazardous cargoes would have been in containers above deck, whereas the Hyundai Fortune appears to have been rocked by explosions below deck..
The crew was evacuated with just one injury. The TT Club estimates that at least 500 containers on the vessel have been destroyed. The value of the boxes on the burning vessel is put at around $8m-$9m, and will contribute to the general average
and here are some photos appearing on various sites on the web.
With regards - S. Sampathkumar
PS : circulated to my group through e-mail
on 8th Apr 2006
and posted here on my blog now.
Hi Adiyen Srinivasa Dhasan!
ReplyDeleteIn fact after the explosion and fire on board MSC Flaminia,I was looking for news of the former HYUNDAI FORTUNE and was surprised to find this post dated 16 Jyly 2012!
After its fire off Yemen in 2006, the vessel was eventually declared a total loss and sold to a Greek owner who signed a repair contract with Cosco Zhoushan Shipyard.
The shipyard refused to carry on repairs when they realised how much the sterntube was out of line. I came in as a consultant for TECNITAS (a branch of Bureau Veritas) and assisted the shipyard for "bending back" the stern part of the vessel. Renamed FORTUNE, the vessel was completed end of 2007 or in 2008.
Any news of the vessel since?
Bernard FURIC (France)
bf.consultant@orange.fr