Multiple Cargo Ships Caught Fire at the Same Time, Killing Three People

On the afternoon of December 21st, a self-ignition accident occurred on a cargo ship in the Suqian section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.?A thousand-ton cargo ship carrying 4 tons of diesel and 3 gas cylinders suddenly caught fire, with a rapid spread and billowing smoke on the scene.

According to relevant media reports, the ship owner revealed that the cargo ship, worth over one million yuan with a load capacity of 1700 tons, is suspected to have caught fire due to aged electrical wiring on the ship or wires chewed by rats.

On December 21st, the Changshu City Water Search and Rescue Center issued a situation report stating that on the evening of the 20th, an explosion occurred on a cargo ship in Haiyu Town, Changshu City, Suzhou, Jiangsu, resulting in 3 deaths and 1 person missing. After an emergency rescue, the fire was extinguished in the early morning of the 21st.

Coincidentally, also on December 21, 2023, in the same section of the Yangtze River in Changshu,?a ship caught fire. A South Korean ship, empty and traveling downstream in the Changshu section of the Yangtze River, caught fire and exploded. There were 22 people on board, and the ship was not carrying any cargo. All 22 people were rescued, and no secondary accidents such as leakage or pollution occurred.

The fire on the cargo ship in the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is highly likely to have been caused by rats gnawing on electrical wires. Rats, with their strong vitality, are distributed in every corner of the city and can even be found on some large ships, posing a significant threat to the ships.

Proofing against Rats on Ship

Why are rats so detrimental to ships?

1.Huge safety hazards

Rats on ships could potentially cause the ship to sink. In the Age of Discovery, ships were generally made of wood, which could easily be gnawed by rats. Once gnawed, it could lead to holes in the ship, resulting in sinking.

However, although modern ships are generally made of steel, there are still some soft materials on the ship, such as the ropes used to tie lifebuoys. More importantly, there are electronic devices on the ship.?If the wires are chewed and the electronic devices fail to work, the ship will not be able to discern direction at sea, which could even lead to accidents.

In addition, rats carry many microorganisms, which could potentially cause plague, posing a great threat to the safety and health of the crew.

2.Port management refuses to dock, even demanding fines

Port management regards rats on ships as invasive species, thus refusing to allow them to dock. Once invasive species proliferate and cause disasters, it can lead to significant trouble.

How do rats enter ships?

There are many ways for rats to enter ships, mainly divided into the following three:

1.Boarding with goods

If the ship is large, it is difficult for the crew to inspect carefully when loading goods, and generally, the goods are transported to the ship in large boxes. If rats are hiding in these boxes, it is difficult for the crew to discover them.

2.Boarding with ropes

When ships dock, they generally use ropes to tie the port and the ship's body to prevent the ship from moving, and these ropes are usually the channels for rats to climb onto the ship. Some rats can swim, and they may also go down into the sea and then board the ship through the ship's anchor chain.

3.Boarding along water or fuel pipes

Ships generally need to store fresh water or fuel, but due to the large size of the ship, the replenishment of fresh water or fuel will not be completed in a short time, and there are few people watching during this process, so rats may board the ship along the water or fuel pipes.

How to deal with rats on the ship?

1.Use rat guards on ropes

Some rats enter the ship along the ropes on the ship. To solve the problem at the source, “rings”?can be placed on the ropes, which are commonly referred to as “rat guards”?(as shown in the figure).

These rat guards are generally funnel-shaped, and the funnel mouth is facing outward. When rats climb up along the rope, they cannot continue to climb up when they encounter this rat guard because the rat guard is relatively smooth, and rats cannot exert force at all.

2.Use rat glue or thermal imaging and other technologies

Some rats enter the ship's body with food or goods, and some even enter along the pipes. Therefore, rat glue or thermal imaging technology and other complementary technologies can also be used to solve the rat problem.

Not only is there the threat of rats, but also various risks are easily encountered during the voyage. If danger is encountered during the voyage, it is also necessary to master the use of signals.

Ship Signals

When ships sail at sea, if they encounter extreme weather such as fog and strong waves, or in complex and changeable working environments, various unexpected accidents may occur at any time, threatening the safety of the ship and the crew. To prevent serious consequences and minimize losses, it is necessary to develop a set of effective emergency plans, and the crew must be familiar with emergency signals and master emergency equipment.

Classification of ship emergency signals

Emergency signals are only used in emergency situations on ships and are generally issued by whistles, alarms, and ship bells, controlled by the ship's deck officers. The unified emergency signals in China?can be divided into two categories: emergency alarm signals and alarm cancellation signals.

Emergency alarm signals include the abandon ship signal (6 short 1 long, whistled or alarmed for 1 minute), water ingress signal (2 long 1 short, whistled or alarmed for 1 minute), man overboard signal (3 long), and fire signal (many short, random bell or short whistle for 1 minute, then specify the exact location of the fire with the number of ship bell rings).

Alarm cancellation signal (1 long, alarmed or whistled continuously for 6 seconds or announced by order).

In addition, there are pyrotechnic signals, also known as intuitive signals or distress signals, used when ships are in danger. They can produce smoke, sound, or light and are collectively referred to as various pyrotechnics used as signals for assistance and rescue. Commonly used pyrotechnic signals include red flare parachute signal for ships, red flare signals?for ship, and orange smoke signals?for ship.

1.Red flare parachute signal for ships

Launch height 300M, light intensity 30000 candela, burning time 40 seconds, storage and use temperature 35-65℃, valid for 3 years.

2.Red flare signals?for ship

Light intensity 15000 candela, burning time 60 seconds, storage and use temperature 35-65℃, valid for 3 years.

3.Orange smoke signals?for ship

Continuous smoke time 3 minutes, visible distance 2 nautical miles, storage and use temperature 30-65℃, valid for 3 years.

The direct damage caused by ship fires to the ship and crew cannot be underestimated.?These accidents have sounded the alarm for us. Ship safety management is a complex and arduous task that requires the joint efforts of countries and regions around the world to take comprehensive measures, strengthen safety awareness, increase safety investment, improve safety systems, and enhance emergency capabilities to effectively reduce accidents and ensure the safety and efficiency of maritime transportation, creating a safe and reliable maritime transportation environment, and protecting the life and property safety of the crew.

With the globalization of the economy, the shipping industry is booming, and maritime transportation is becoming increasingly busy. The number of ships is continuously increasing, and the number of crew members is also growing significantly, leading to a trend of more frequent crew rescue incidents. The importance of professional rescue platforms is becoming increasingly prominent. E-PORTS has extensive experience in crew rescue and has successfully handled many emergency rescue cases. In July this year, off the coast of Chile in the eastern Pacific, a crew member on a cargo ship suddenly fell ill. E-PORTS quickly coordinated a rescue team through digital means,?arranged for the ship to dock at a nearby port, and the shore-based medical team was also ready. After the crew member disembarked, they were immediately taken to the intensive care unit for scientific treatment. Thanks to the timely rescue, the crew member finally escaped danger and returned to China smoothly before the end of July to receive further treatment.

If you need crew rescue, you can contact 400-920-8810. E-PORTS customer service is at your service 24 hours a day.