Mires Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

On November 13, 2022, a significant fire erupted on the bridge of the 'S-Trust' at the Genesis Port Allen Terminal in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, around 3:30 p.m. local time. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has conducted an exhaustive investigation into the incident, revealing that the blaze was triggered by a thermal runaway of lithium-ion battery cells. The crew aboard the vessel promptly responded, extinguishing the fire by approximately 3:50 p.m., but the damage inflicted on the vessel was substantial, with losses estimated at $3 million. Investigators uncovered remnants of three batteries on the communications table: a fully intact nickel-metal hydride battery and two lithium-ion batteries. One lithium-ion battery was partially intact, found alongside its charger, while the second lithium-ion battery was left in fragments. The explosion of lithium-ion battery cells is commonly linked to thermal runaway, a phenomenon where cells overheat, leading to catastrophic failure. The initial explosion produced a bright orange flash and a puff of smoke, likely indicative of one lithium-ion cell's thermal runaway. This can generate temperatures exceeding 1,100°F, potentially igniting nearby combustible materials or adjacent cells. As the fire escalated, surveillance footage captured a second flash, revealing a flaming object ejected from the inferno, which landed on the bridge deck and continued to burn; this was likely the other lithium-ion cell that had succumbed to thermal runaway, a situation likely exacerbated by the heat from the preceding explosion. Due to the end of the bridge watch as cargo operations commenced, there were no individuals stationed on the bridge to monitor the situation at the moment the fire started. The first sign of trouble for the crew was the unexpected loss of video feed from the closed-circuit cameras to the captain's office. The NTSB's conclusive report determined that the primary cause of the fire aboard the 'S-Trust' resulted from the thermal runaway of a lithium-ion battery cell associated with a UHF handheld radio. For further details, including photos, please visit: https://splash247.com/how-one-handheld-radio-ripped-a-ships-bridge-apart/

On May 9, 2021, a dramatic rescue unfolded in Port Phillip Bay when a 31-year-old sailor from Georgia leapt overboard from the vessel Kanpur, which was anchored off Beaumaris. The sailor was discovered clinging to a navigational marker approximately five kilometers from the shore. Local water police reached him at around 8 p.m. and successfully pulled him from the water. Following the rescue, he was transported to Williamstown for a medical evaluation. Officers from the Australian Border Force and the Department of Health accompanied the sailor to the hospital, where he was expected to be transferred to hotel quarantine on May 11 as part of the state's health protocols. Authorities were gearing up for an inspection of the Kanpur when it docks on May 12. This inspection will involve representatives from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Border Force, and the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, as well as officials from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) who will interview crew members. The officers involved in the rescue have been placed in isolation as a precaution. The ITF is collaborating with pertinent authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and is assessing necessary support for the sailor and his fellow crew members. Discussions are underway with the ship's manager, Columbia Ship Management based in Cyprus, and the Latvian union affiliate which oversees a collective agreement for the crew on board. The Kanpur had been docked in Port Phillip Bay since May 2, following its earlier berths at Marsden Point and Mina al-Ahmadi.