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The American Waterways Operators (AWO) has awarded crew members of the 'Potomac Express' and the 'El Coqu'i with the Honor & Excellence in Rescue Operations (HERO) Awards. They were recognized for their heroic efforts in ensuring the safety and security of others while at sea. The crew of the 'El Coqui', led by Capt. Kurt Breitfeller, played a pivotal role during the rescue operation of four people forced to abandon their sailboat after it was damaged in the Atlantic Ocean. Alongside the U.S. Coast Guard and the fishing vessel 'Bonanza', they worked to successfully locate, retrieve and transport the four to safety. In another case, while serving aboard the' Potomac Express', zjr Second Mate Kevin Zapolski displayed bravery when he swiftly responded to a distress call after a fellow crew member fell into the water between the dock and the vessel. Zapolski deployed a life ring, provided critical support and coordinated with the crew, terminal staff and emergency responders to rescue the crew member. The award recognizes those whose actions prevent harm and protect lives on the water each day. Report with photo: https://www.ajot.com/news/crowley-mariners-honored-for-heroic-rescues-by-american-waterways-operators

The company RN Salvamento assisted the 'Papu Mar' and the barge '240-4' on a complex and challenging rescue operation, responding immediately after the tug sank on the night of April 17 near Banco Chico, at kilometer 77 of the Punta Indio Channel. The barge, carrying 140 containers, had remained conncected to the sunken tug, posing a significant risk to the stability of the vessel and its cargo. RN Salvamento deployed the tug 'Ona Don Lorenzo' (IMO: 9328388) with technical personnel to assess the situation and assist the barge. Despite strong winds that complicated the operation, the team managed to secure the 'Papu Mar's mooring lines. Subsequently, after the tug completely sank, the tug 'Ona Triunfo' (IMO: 9274604) was deployed with rescue personnel to rehabilitate the barge's anchoring system. The barge was uncoupled from the sunken tug and towed to the port of Buenos Aires, where it arrived undamaged and with all its cargo intact. The company is currently finalizing contractual details for the refloating of the 'Papu Mar'. Report with photos: https://comexonline.com.ar/noticias/val/62541/operacion-de-rescate-exitosa-rn-salvamento-asiste-al-remolcador-papu-mar-en-apuros.html

The China Maritime Safety Administration (CMSA) has released a report on its findings into the explosion and fire which occurred on the 'YM Mobility' at the Ningbo Port on Aug 9, 2024, starting in a container loaded with dangerous goods close to the ship’s bow. The CMSA revealed in the report that the cargo in the reefer container included tert-Butyl peroxybenzoate (TBPB), a compound that has thermal instability and can self-decompose at room temperature, and release large amounts of heat and produce gas or vapour. According to the shipper’s declaration, the container in question was a reefer unit used as a substitute for a dry container, without requiring power connection. The container was used to store TBPB despite having poor heat dissipation properties, with the heat generated by the TBPB self-decomposition reaction therefore accumulating in the container. The continuous increase in temperature accelerated the self-decomposition reaction, which resulted in thermal runaway and the subsequent explosion and fire. The incident occurred during a period when summer temperatures in Shanghai where the product was packed, were higher than usual. From July25 to Aug 9, Shanghai and Ningbo saw high temperatures, with daytime temperature reaching a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius. The investigation showed that the operator failed to exercise sufficient care when reviewing the cargo transportation plan. In particular, the operator failed to conduct a full safety assessment of the stability of the cargo and the risk of thermal runaway with respect to the conditions such as high outside temperatures, self-separation of the cargo, and thermal insulation of the unplugged reefer unit. The operator failed to conduct a full safety assessment of the stability of the cargo and the risk of thermal runaway with respect to the conditions such as high outside temperatures, self-separation of the cargo, and thermal insulation of the unplugged reefer unit. The operator agreed to use the unplugged reefer to transport the dangerous goods and did not consider the temperature changes in the container during transportation. The CMSA found no abnormalities in other steps throughout the cargo transportation process. The investigation found both the operator and the shipper to responsible for the incident.

On April 24, 2025, at atound 6 a.m. a fire broke out in the cargo of scrap fire on the 'Federal Tweed', which was berthed at the the Amerikahaven Way in the Western Port Area in Amsterdam. The fire was releasing a lot of smoke. The alerted fire department advised local residents to close their windows and doors. A burning smell has been reported in Amsterdam-Geuzenveld, Osdorp, Badhoevedorp and Lijnden in particular. The scrap was being removed from the cargo hold with a crane and deposited on the quay. The fire department extinguished the burning scrap on the quayside. It was expected that the extinguishing would take some time. The patrol vessel ''PA 1 Castor' (MMSI: 244650483) was on site. Reports with photos: https://www.nhnieuws.nl/nieuws/347935/veel-rook-bij-schrootbrand-op-schip-in-westelijk-havengebied https://112nieuws.net/2025/04/24/enorme-rookontwikkeling-door-brand-op-schip-omwonenden-moeten-ramen-en-deuren-sluiten/#google_vignette https://112inbeeld.nl/forse-rookontwikkeling-bij-brand-op-schip-met-schroot

The National Prosecutor's Office has authorized the Prosecutor's Office to finance this service of taking the 'Cobra' to dry dock and, together with the Investigative Police and their experts, to conduct a series of studies of the vessel's operation and of evidence that may still be there, in order to advance investigative conclusions that are fundamental to this investigation. The hearing will take place on May 2 and will last 24 hours. For his part, the 'Blumar's lawyer, Alejandro Espinoza, stated that a request has been submitted to the Public Prosecutor's Office to have the 'Cobra' taken to a dry dock at the company's expense so that all necessary forensic examinations can be carried out and any doubts surrounding the incident can be cleared up. Initial accounts from the ship's crew indicated that they heard nothing on the day of the accident (March 30), and later, some crew members said they heard a noise attributed to an internal door.