MT BANGLAR JYOTI

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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 '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

Oil from damaged tanker discharged

The Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) has decided to stop using both the 'Bangla's Jyoti' and another tanker, the Bangla's Shourabh' for oil transportation. Instead, the BSC will rely on chartered vessels to transport BPC's crude oil until new ships have been purchased. The BSC was in the process of acquiring a new vessel, and in the interim, chartered ships will handle the crude oil transport. MEanwhile the discharge of oil from the fire-damaged 'Bangla's Jyoti' has been completed at the Eastern Refinery by the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) on the morning of Oct 3. The tanker was carrying 10,916.846 metric tonnes of crude oil. Afteran inspection and clearance from the Department of Explosives, the oil discharge began on the morning of Oct 2. The explosion occurred when crude oil was being discharged, triggered by an accumulation of flammable gas in the vessel's four peak stores. The incident resulted in the deaths of Deck Cadet Saurabh Kumar Saha, BSC Foreman Nurul Islam, and worker M Harun. The mother vessel 'Omera Legacy,' carrying approximately 98,383 metric tonnes of Marban crude oil from Abu Dhabi, had arrived at the Qutubdia outer anchorage on Sep 17. Discharge operations began on Sep 30, and around 800 metric tonnes of crude oil had been discharged when the fire broke out. Following the accident, BPC formed a seven-member investigation committee, chaired by Eastern Refinery Limited's Managing Director Engineer Md Sharif Hasnat. The committee submitted its report on the same day. Their report highlighted the risks associated with oil lightering operations using BSC's vessels. The BSC has formed two separate committees to investigate the accident, manage the burial of the victims, and address compensation issues.

Two bodies recovered after explosion and fire

The bodies of two men, were burned to death in the fire which broke out following an explosion aboard the 'Banglar Jyoti' at Patenga in the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram, have been recovered. The identities of them were not known immediately. The Fire Service's Agrabad control room had dployed eight units from the Agrabad, Bandar, Karnaphuli EPZ, and CEPZ stations, which recovered the two charred bodies.Coast Guard, Navy, and the Eastern Refinery’s firefighting teams also joined with the fire service members. The iire have occurred due to the accumulation of flammable gas in the foreüeak store. The seven-member investigation committee, formed by the BPC, presented their findings on Sep 30. Deck Cadet Saurabh Kumar Saha from Jhenaidah, BSC Foreman Nurul Islam from Chattogram, and worker Md Harun from Kishoreganj died in the explosion and fire. Reports with photos and video: https://maritime-executive.com/article/three-dead-as-shuttle-tanker-explodes-in-bangladesh-port https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/mv-jyoti-fire-report-reveals-accumulation-flammable-gas-954886