B-LPG SOPHIA

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Three fires on four ships within two weeks raising questions about firefighint capacity and sanctioned cargoes

After three fires involving four ships in two weeks, port stakeholders in Chittagong were having questions about local firefighting capacity, and whether it was making sense to import sanctioned energy cargoes aboard questionable vessels. A major fire broke out aboard the 'B LPG Sophia' and 'Captain Nikolas' during an allegedly illegal ship-to-ship transfer off Kutubdia, Chittagong. The 'Captain Nikolas' was offloading its cargo to the Bangladeshi lighterage vessel, when a fire broke out aboard both vessels. All 31 crewmembers survived, but the the lighter tanker was significantly damaged. The LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB) claimed that the origin of the cargo aboard the 'Captain Nikolas' was misdeclared, and that it actually came from Iran, a sanctioned supplier. The LOAB believed that customs officials were involved in this unlawful import arrangement, and that at least one additional vessel delivered a sanctioned Iranian LPG cargo. The 'Captain Nikolas' likely loaded a cargo of sanctioned Iranian LNG in the Persian Gulf with wo sister ships being engaged in the same trade. On Oct 15, Bangladesh's shipping ministry issued a circular urging importers to abide by the law on sanctioned vessels and cargoes, reminding companies that Bangladesh required maritime stakeholders to comply with U.S., UN and EU sanctions, and that violations expose Bangladesh to national security risks and reputational problems. The agency forbids any activities involving sanctioned cargo loading, unloading or transshipment in Bangladeshi waters. The incident with the two LPG tankers was the third major vessel fire near Chittagong within two weeks. A blaze broke out aboard the 'Banglar Shourabh' on Oct 4, killing one crew member, and a fire aboard the tanker 'Banglar Jyoti' killed three on Sep 30, prompting calls for more firefighting capabilities at Chittagong. The port has no dedicated firefighting vessels with the equipment to combat petroleum fires. Report with photo: https://maritime-executive.com/article/chittagong-vessel-fires-raise-questions-about-sanctions-and-safety

Fire on LPG carriers under investigation

After a massive fire broke out on two LPG carriers 'Captain Nikolas' and 'B-LPG Sophia', while they were transferring cargo off the coast of Bangladesh on Oct 13 at around 12:45 a.m., while the tankers were anchored near Kutubdia, Chattogram, the Chittagong Port Authority has formed a committee to investigate the accident. The committee’s report must be completed within one week. The Bangladesh Coast Guard and Navy had responded immediately, sending seven vessels to help extinguish the fire. The fire on board the 'Captain Nikolas' was brought under control at around 03.30 a.m. The fire on the 'B-LPG Sophia'Ä burned until 1230 p.m. Teams from Bangladesh’s Navy and Coastguard continued to monitor the vessel for the risk of a re-ignition. 31 people jumped into the water from both ships to escape the fire, but were safely rescued with no serious injuries reporded. Eight locally hired watchman who were on the 'Captain Nikolas' were among the rescued. Allegedly the cargo on the 'Captain Nikolas' was misdeclared and actually came from Iran, which is under sanctions, as per the LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB). Mohd Omar Faruk, Secretary of the Chittagong Port Authority, stated that the inspection of the 'Captain Nikolas' found no sign of illegal cargo and that the LPG was loaded in Dubai or Oman. The tanker was detained in Hunan in January due to fire protection issues on the cargo deck and was cited again in March for the same violations. Over the past nine months, it has been registered with Panama and Cook Islands before changing flag to Tanzania. Between Sep 9 and Sep18, ahead of the voyage to Bangladesh, the AIS transmissions were consistent with patterns of manipulation. The 'B-LPG Sophia' was found with 16 deficiencies, including to its emergency fire pumps and its pipes, during an inspection in Chittagong on Sep 6. Report with photo: https://maritime-executive.com/article/two-lpg-carriers-catch-fire-at-chittagong-during-sts-transfer

31 people rescued after tankers with sanctioned cargo caught fire

The 'B-LPG Sophia' caught fire on Kutubdia anchorage on the early morning of Oct 13, 2024. The tanker was engaged in ship-to-ship transfer of LPG from the mother vessel 'Captain Nikolas' (IMO: 9008108). 31 people, including 18 crew members, consisting of nine Bangladeshis, eight Indonesians, and one Indian, two mooring men, three watchmen from the tanker, and eight port security guards from the mother vessel who jumped into the sea after the fire broke out, were rescued by the tug 'Tufan Express'. Immediately after being notified at 12:55 a.m., the Coast Guard deployed the firefighting tug 'Promotto', one patrol boat, and eight speed boats to the scene. The navy also sent firefighting tugs.The lighter vessel was not anchored and drifting freely with other tankers in its vicinity. It took around 12 hours to successfully bring the situation under control because of the large amount of LPG onboard. Coastguard and Navy personnel continued to monitor the vessel to prevent a re-ignition. A fire aboard the 'Captain Nikolas' was brought under control by 3:30 a.m. An investigation has been opened into the matter to assess the circumstances surrounding the fire and discern if the fire was caused by sabotage. In a letter dated from Oct 6, the LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB) had alleged the 70,000 tons of LPG had its origin misreported and that the LPG had originated in Iran, a heavily sanctioned supplier. LOAB had requested the Chattogram Port Authority and customs to detain the vessels and thoroughly investigate the matter. Reports with photos: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/accidents-fires/news/fire-breaks-out-lpg-tanker-kutubdia-anchorage-3726376 https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/fire-2-ships-kutubdia-mother-vessel-captain-nikolas-allegedly-imported-illegal-lpg-965711 https://www.newagebd.net/post/country/247647/two-lpg-tankers-catch-fire-in-bay