An NYK Line containership that suffered an engine room fire on Friday is being towed to the port of Oakland in California, the US Coast Guard (USCG) has said.
The Liberian-flag, 4,888-teu NYK Delphinus (built 2007) was 80 nautical miles (148 km) south-west of the US port, according to the latest update issued on Sunday.
“The ship’s crew reported a continuous decrease in the temperature of the engine room’s surrounding bulkheads Sunday morning,” a USCG statement said.
“No signs of smoke have been observed and all decks above the engine room are now accessible and have been fully ventilated.”
The USCG said it initially sent a cutter to the Delphinus to assess the situation, along with two helicopters, one of which transferred a dewatering pump to the containership.
A unified command consisting of the USCG, California's state government, and response firm Witt O’Briens was established to respond to the fire aboard the Delphinus.
The USCG said the tug Delta Deanna began “actively towing” the Delphinus in a northerly direction at mid-morning on Saturday.
The two vessels then met up with the tug Scorpios on Saturday afternoon to transfer two people to the Delphinus to survey the damage.
“The Delta Deanna and the tugs Sarah Avrick, Delta Lindsay and Jamie Ann continue to transit the Delphinus to an offshore location west of Point Reyes,” the USCG said.
“Upon arrival, additional fire and salvage teams are planning to embark on the Delphinus to conduct structural integrity inspections and examine damage to the engine room.”
Once the inspection is completed, the USCG said the Delphinus would be moved to Oakland Terminal Berth 22.
The USCG said there were no reported injuries and all 24 crew members were reported safe and accounted for. There are no reported signs of pollution.
“Our priorities are the safety and well-being of the crew, controlling the fire, mitigating pollution, and safe transit of the ship to the Port of Oakland,” the USCG said.
The ship’s operator, Ocean Network Express (ONE), said it was in “close cooperation with all relevant authorities and will continue to update you as this situation progresses”.
The liner operator, of which shipowner NYK Line is a major shareholder, confirmed that the crew was safe, but said that no information was available regarding possible cargo damage.
“As of now, there is no oil leakage reported and investigations are ongoing and further information will be provided once available,” ONE said.
