Cargo Ship Catches Fire In Lagos
A fire outbreak occurred on Friday evening aboard a cargo vessel, CHANG MIN (IMO 9622801), berthed at the ENL Terminal in Apapa Port, Lagos, during unloading operations.
The incident triggered an emergency response from multiple agencies.
Confirming the incident on Saturday, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the fire started around 5:55 p.m. and affected section two of the ship’s cargo hold.
The vessel was carrying highly combustible materials such as CNG trucks, wooden products, and tyres.
Emergency responders arrived swiftly at the scene and implemented an emergency response plan.
The team collaborated with the ship’s crew to understand the situation and formulate a response strategy.
One of the first actions taken was to shut the affected compartment to cut off oxygen supply and suppress the fire.
A coordinated firefighting plan was put in place to contain the flames while ensuring the safety of all personnel involved.
The cargo hold was later reopened to allow fire crews to fully engage and extinguish the fire.
Fortunately, no casualties were reported. All seafarers on board were safely accounted for, and no injuries were sustained.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the fire has been completely extinguished, and recovery operations have concluded.
He added that the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, pending further investigation.
“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,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
“No life was lost and no injuries were sustained to anyone as all seafarers on board have been accounted for.”
Responding agencies included the LASEMA Response Team, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Fire Unit, and ENL Consortium Ltd.
Cargo Ship Catches Fire In Lagos is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
