"Hyundai Fortune" (5.500 TEU) now reportedly still afloat after explosions and fire

[Robert Smith]

Picked this up on the net:

Casualty type: Fire - containers lost overboard
Voyage from/to: Far East ports to Europe
Casualty Date: 21.3.2006
Vessel Type: Container vessel
Grt: 64054
Built: 1996
Cargo: Containers

UPDATE 23.03.2006
The vessel is still burning fiercely in position 12.40.3 N 046.55.4E Tug WADI HASSAN is alongside firefighting, having arrived at 15.00 UTC.
The salvors

[Phil English]

Yes, of course, Ofer does have a habit of picking up modern ships that are CTL and then rebuilding them. We shall wait and see  :-)

[bertus]

SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage today made a number of further steps to gain control over the severely burning container vessel HYUNDAI FORTUNE. The first steps were made last Wednesday 22/3 with the arrival on site of the fire fighting tug WADI HASSAN with a SvitzerWijsmuller salvage/fire fighting team on board less then 30 hours after the accident occurred. Immediate fire fighting actions succeeded in arresting the progress of the fire which in the meantime had spread itself from the stern through the accommodation to the hold/containers just in front of the accommodation.
Today Friday 24/3 during the afternoon the SvitzerWijsmuller fire fighting tug RAKHYUT has arrived on site and has joined into the fire fighting operation. SvitzerWijsmuller ocean going tug SMITWIJS ROTTERDAM this morning arrived in Aden where additional salvage team members joined the tug. She thereupon immediately departed again to the operating theatre, arriving at around the same time as the RAKHYUT. With the assistance of the salvage crew, who had to board the still burning casualty to do so, the SMITWIJS ROTTERDAM was connected up to the vessel and as such SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage gained further control over the casualty. This was especially necessary with the casualty drifting further south into the direction of Somalia; an area known for piracy. In this respect direct contact with the coalition naval forces, amongst others DE ZEVEN PROVINCIEN and the HMS LANCASTER, has been set up and maintained.
 
At the moment a fourth tug is being made ready to join the flotilla with mobile salvage and fire fighting equipment. In total 15 tons of mobile fire fighting and salvage equipment was flown in to Aden by charter plane last night. At the moment in total 13 fire fighting and salvage specialists are, next to the crews on board of the tugs, engaged on site from SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage offices in The Netherlands, South Africa and Singapore.

http://www.wijsmullersalvage.nl/latestnews.php

regards and a nice weekend

Bertus

[bertus]

SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage today, Sunday 26/3, was able to start with further stabilisation activities following the control that was achieved over the situation and condition of the casualty in the past few days.
 
During yesterday Saturday 25/3 the fire fighting and salvage teams of SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage were able to board the burning casualty twice while she was under tow, using breathing apparatus and other personal protection gear, for two separate inpection rounds through several compartments of the casualty. What is presumed to be fire fighting water was noticed to be present in some compartments. This morning the SvitzerWijsmuller ocean going tug SMITWIJS ROTTERDAM, which sofar controled the casualty by towing her, was brought alongside to act as a working base. Salvage pumps from the SMITWIJS ROTTERDAM were located in certain compartments to start the dewatering process in order to make a start with getting excessive stresses in the casualty under control. Tug RAS ISA, which today Sunday 26/3 arrived on site with the 15 tons of salvage and fire fighting equipment that was flown in to Aden from The Netherlands, is in the process of transferring this equipment to the SMITWIjS ROTTERDAM, which in turn is using her crane for transferring the fire fighting and salvage equipment onto the casualty in order for it to be engaged in operations.
 
The planning is now to further execute stabilisation and control activities, which are to include a piece-by-piece attack on the still burning and smouldering containers on board of the casualty. These 'watertight tins' need to be attacked one by one to ensure that the fires inside them are extinguished.
 
Fire fighting tugs remain in attendance.
latest news

[Eblue]

Quote from http://www.wijsmullersalvage.nl/latestnews.php

27 March 2006
SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage fire fighting and salvage crews continue stabilisation actions on board of the burning container vessel in Gulf of Aden

Work continued today Monday 27/3 on board of the casualty to stabilise the condition of the burning vessel. Surgical fire fighting, pumping and further control operations were expanded by the salvage and fire fighting team using the specially moved in salvage and fire fighting equipment. The success achieved so far and the resources available on site allowed the salvage master to release one of the fire fighting tugs.


 
Status: In Progress

Unquote

Interest to know since all crew abandon the ship. And seems the fire will be put off and the vessel keep afloat. So who is the owner of the vessel/cargoes?

[Bj]

one of our customer, wich had 3 containers on board, got the
info, the explosion was cause by fireworks!

kind reagards

Bj

[Charles McAllister]

Several people claiming long experience in container shipping have stated opinions that, while the fireworks were a large part the spectacular explosions, they were not the source of the fire.  More information on this at:http://www.cargolaw.com/2006nightmare_hyundai_for2.html

Looks like more money for many lawyers before this is finally settled.

Best to all,

Charles

[Jacob Versteeg]

Just arrived from Salalah, Hyundai Fortune is under tow underway to Salalah for unloading

[Hawkeye]

Hi Everyone
Has there been anymore developements regarding the fate of this ship?
Regards

Karl
 :-)

[Eblue]

Quoted from Svitzer Wijsmuller Salvage

http://www.wijsmullersalvage.nl/latestnews.php

20 April 2006
HYUNDAI FORTUNE discharged and towed out of port

Having towed the HYUNDAI FORTUNE into Salalah port last Monday morning with the actual discharge starting soon thereafter, the casualty completed discharge of the sound and (most of the) wet containers during yesterday morning early, Wednesday 19/4. The vessel thereafter was towed out of port and anchored at Salalah anchorage for further preparations for towing her, with some damaged containers remaining on board, to a next destination. In total 2,249 containers were discharged in Salalah port during a period of less then 2 days according to a detailed discharge plan prepared by SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage B.V. specialists. The plan incorporated the discharge sequence of the containers and, simultaneously, the necessary ballasting activities that had to be executed to ensure stresses within the fire victim to remain within acceptable limits. Complicating factor in the process was the fact that the own ballast system of the ship could not be used anymore and that as such alternative means had to be engage to achieve the required result.

The operations were successfully completed within the slot available.

The casualty is now being prepared for towage to a more sheltered location for further delivery preparation.

Unquote
Charles