Fire guts Cargo vessel at Apapa Port

A potential maritime disaster was averted on Saturday, June 22, after a fire broke out aboard a cargo vessel, CHANG MIN, while it was docked at Apapa Port in Lagos. Quick intervention by emergency teams and the ship’s crew prevented major damage and ensured no lives were lost.

The vessel had arrived earlier that day carrying a diverse cargo, including construction machinery, iron rods, compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks, wooden goods, and tyres, when flames suddenly erupted onboard.

According to port authorities, the ship’s crew promptly steered the vessel safely into its dock position, allowing emergency responders to swing into action without delay. Firefighters from both the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Federal Fire Service, alongside other emergency units, worked swiftly to contain and extinguish the blaze before it could spread to adjacent vessels or facilities.

The ship was berthed at Shed 8 of the ENL Consortium Terminal in Apapa where fire containment operations began.

Personnel from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Fire Unit worked in tandem to extinguish the blaze.

In a statement issued by LASEMA and signed by its Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, the fire was detected during the unloading process.

The statement read: “Following distress alerts at 1755hrs, the Lagos State Emergency Management (LASEMA), activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans from the Cobra Base in Onipanu.

“Upon arrival at the scene, a cargo ship CHANG MIN laden with cargo which included CNG trucks, wooden products, tyres and other highly combustible products was observed to have caught fire within section two of the cargo hold.

“Preliminary investigations conducted by Emergency responders at the scene revealed that the fire was observed at the point of unloading and the cause is yet to be ascertained at time of report.

“No life was lost and no injuries were sustained to anyone as all seafarers on board have been accounted for.

“The Cobra response team alongside all other responders at the scene undertook the following actions: Debrief from the Crew on board to give more information to Emergency Response Teams as to the instruction that the compartment be totally shut to eliminate oxygen supply, while initial dampening down was being conducted;

“A fire response plan was agreed upon by Emergency Responders on a method to combat the inferno in the safest possible way to eliminate secondary incidents and also ensure the safety of all fire fighters; ⁠Reopening of the cargo hold to enable fire teams engage the inferno; Location of fire and the ship floor plan..”

The fire was completely extinguished and recovery efforts wrapped up, according to the agency. At the time of this report, the exact cause of the fire had not yet been determined.