BBC RHONETAL

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Report: Fire in Port Hedland was tenth on Briese ships

A fire that burned for three days on the 'BBC Rhonetal' was the tenth on a vessel owned by the German parent company, a report of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has found. The ship was docked at Port Hedland when the fire was sparked in the lower cargo hold as the crew used a plasma torch to cut welded sea fastenings in March 2021. The incident was the tenth in just 14 years on a ship owned by German parent company Briese Schiffahrts and the fourth probed by the ATSB. The fire was only extinguished by Port Hedland fire crews three days later. Firefighting personnel were then forced into COVID-19 isolation under Western Australia's pandemic laws. The ATSB's investigation found the risk of fire had not been adequately assessed by the crew prior to the commencement of the hot work. The 'BBC Rhonetal's managers had not effectively implemented the shipboard safety management system procedures to prevent the fire. The ATSB has issued safety recommendations to the ship's management company, and its parent company, to implement proposed safety action across their fleets. Report with photos: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-21/port-hedland-cargo-ship-fire-australian-transport-safety-bureau/101461568

Fire in Port Hedland

On March 24, 2021, at 3.12 a.m. a fire broke out aboard the 'BBC Rhonetal' at berth 2 in the Pibara iron ore port of Port Hedland. Tugs and firefighters of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services were called to assist in extinguishing the fire. One crew member has received medical treatment for smoke inhalation . PPA has ensured all COVID-19 protocols were followed. A smoke alert for parts of Port Hedland especially near The Esplanade and surrounding areas. was given at 4 a.m. with smoke not expected to clear until later the day, but port operations remained undisrupted. The ship had arrived at Port Hedland from Tianjin on March 23. Firefighters had gained control of the fire as of March 25. The cause of the fire was still unknown. Report with photo and video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=aTXHcC2v9eI&feature=emb_title https://www.northwesttelegraph.com.au/news/north-west-telegraph/vessel-fire-leads-to-smoke-alert-for-the-esplanade-and-surrounding-areas-ng-b881830665z