Explosion in Cargo Carrier in Brazil
MV Akaki. Photo by Agencia Maritima Rioplat
A kamsarmax bulk carrier owned by Greece’s Transmed Shipping was hit by an explosion in one of its cargo holds while anchored at Paranagua Port in Brazil.
The Paranaguá Port Authority says it received a report at about 3 p.m. Monday stating that the Cyprus-flagged MV Akaki had suffered an explosion in one of its cargo holds at the port’s anchorage
The explosion may have been caused by gas generated by the maize kept being under high temperature, combined with recent fumigation gas, or by malpractice of the crew.
The 235 meters long vessel remained under observation for 24 hours and was surveyed by technicians regarding the sea worthiness. The environmental authorities and the Navy have been informed of the incident and Appa continued to support the vessel.
The 2013-built Akaki was loaded with corn and prepared to sail to Vietnam when the explosion occurred. There were no injuries and reports of oil split from the incident and the ship’s hull was not damaged.
The deadweight of the vessel is 84,075 DWT and the gross tonnage is 45,999 GRT. The bulk carrier Akaki was built by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries in their shipyard in Samho, South Korea.
The local port authority has started investigations into the incident and said the ship will remain at the port until investigations are complete, which could take up to 90 days. The vessel is believed to be chartered to Glencore on a timecharter at $8,600 per day.
According to the Administration of Paranaguá and Antonina (APPA), the explosion might be caused by gas generated by the cargo due to high temperature.
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