Fire Engulfs Cargo Ship off Japan

zoom A fire broke out on Sunday, November 8th aboard a Belize-flagged general cargo ship identified as Soya Maru while sailing some 2 nautical miles west off Matsuyama, Japan. The Japanese Coast Guard dispatched at least three firefighting vessels to the scene to help extinguish the fire that had broken out in the ships engine room before it spread, engulfing the entire vessel. The ships crew of ten members of Chinese and Bangladeshi nationality abandoned the vessel in time and are reported to be safe, according to the local media. The 1989-built Soya Maru of 3000 DWT was carrying a cargo of scrap from Osaka to Haimen port in China when the fire started. Investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, but initial indications point to poor condition of the ship as one of the probable causes of the incident. World Maritime News Staff