GT UNITY

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Fire in South China Sea

The 'GT Unity', with 20 crew members and 3,872 tonnes of FO crude oil aboard, suffered an engine room fire on Aug 8, 2025, at 11:52 a.m. in the South China Sea, about 104 nautical miles south-southeast of Con Dao and 191 nautical miles south-southeast of the Vung Tau Cape, en route from Malaysia to Dung Quat in the Quang Ngai province. The MRCC Vietnam broadcast an UMIB to all nearby vessels, instructing them to maintain vigilant watch and render assistance where feasible. The navigational status of the partially laden tanker indicated “Not Under Command”. The crew was successfully rescued thanks to the swift response of the Liberian-flagged container ship 'Androusa' (IMO: 9431769) and Vietnamese maritime rescue teams. The fire was caused by an electrical short circuit in the engine room. Upon receiving the reports, the MRCC immediately contacted the 'Androusa', enroute from Nansha to Singapore, directing the ship to return and assist. Androusa promptly contacted the crew of the 'GT Unity'. By that time, 16 of the 20 crew members had already evacuated amid southwesterly winds force 3. At 1:15 p.m, the rescue vessel 'SAR 413' was deployed to the scene. The owner of the 'GT Unity' was instructed to prepare firefighting equipment, and nearby rig standby vessels were called upon to join the rescue operations. The 'SAR 413' was tasked with transporting the crew ashore, including one seriously injured crew member. The Vietnamese authorities also alerted the Navy and Coast Guard. A patrol boat was dispatched from Vung Tau. Reports with photos: https://maritime-executive.com/article/costamare-boxship-rescues-crew-from-burning-tanker-off-vietnam https://plo.vn/dap-tat-dam-chay-tau-ngoai-khoi-tphcm-du-kien-dua-20-thuyen-vien-ve-bo-sang-9-8-post864689.html https://baophapluat.vn/khan-cap-cuu-nan-thanh-cong-20-thuyen-vien-tau-cho-dau-gan-8-000-tan-cua-viet-nam-bi-chay.html