Russian reefer ship suffers engine room blast

Fire broke out on a Russian reefer ship shortly after it departed from South Korea’s Busan port on 26 March.

Korea Coast Guard’s Busan branch said that its patrol vessel detected flames on the 1993-built Crystal Asia around 7 am local time. At the time, the ship was 8km south of Busan’s Gamcheon sub-port. All 23 crew members were evacuated, and the fire was extinguished within 50 minutes.

However, six of the seafarers were injured, and two severely hurt men were airlifted to a local hospital. The others were all brought ashore by rescue boats. Reportedly, there was no fuel leakage following the fire.

The Korea Coast Guard dispatched seven vessels to the scene and quickly extinguished the fire approximately 50 minutes after it began.

Safety management procedures on the Crystal Asia were inspected, and statements from the crew suggested that there was an explosion in the engine room, caused by an engine malfunction. Container News understands that many of the injuries were caused by cuts sustained from windows shattered by the blast.

The vessel inspection showed signs of an explosion, and the Coast Guard will investigate the circumstances of the incident and determine the extent of the damage.

The 8,053 dwt Crystal Asia, which has 12 reefer plugs, is currently docked in Busan and undergoing repairs. The ship is owned by Trans Wind Fleet, a Russian company, and had done some minor repairs in South Korea just before the incident.

Alison Koo
Asia Correspondent

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