Fire on ship contained

2003-10-12 15:58

Durban - A fire which started on board the Sea Elegance, a Singapore-owned vessel, off the Durban coast on Saturday had been contained by Sunday, the National Port Authority (NPA) said.

A crew member who went missing during the fire, had not been found. It was believed that the crewman may have been caught in the blaze.

Spokesperson Yvonne de Kock said on Sunday that the vessel cooled significantly overnight. Although the fire was still smouldering, there was no danger to the environment and the vessel was not in danger of sinking, she said.

"The fire is now minor, but it is expected to continue smouldering for some time."

De Kock said the NPA tugs were, however, still on standby.

Paul Bevis, spokesperson for the National Sea Rescue Institute, said on Sunday that salvors Smith Marine SA were in the process of taking over the matter.

Several of the ship's containers, valued at millions of rands were destroyed in the blaze.

The ship's bridge, which caught alight, is said to have prevented the crew from notifying authorities earlier about the fire.

- SAPA