A derelict vessel anchored in the yacht berthing area near Coloane’s Concórdia Industrial Park, caught fire at around 4 p.m. yesterday, a Fire Services Bureau (CB) spokesperson told reporters at the scene where the blaze broke out.
No one was injured in the incident.
The spokesperson said that the fire brigade received a report about the fire at around 4:42 p.m., adding that it took firefighters eight minutes to put out the blaze.
The fire was caused by sparks generated by three workers who were cutting the hull of the vessel, the spokesperson said, adding that the sparks ignited disassembled parts of the boat, such as fibre rods and wooden planks, in the vicinity, burning an area of “two metres by two metres”.
According to the spokesperson, the fire did not spread to other vessels. The bureau dispatched five vehicles and 24 firefighters to the scene on the shore.
Vessel’s dismantling works possibly illegal
Meanwhile, the Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA) told local Chinese-language media yesterday that the dismantling work of the vessel that caught fire in Coloane yesterday was carried out without having applied for permission and therefore may be illegal.
The bureau said that the vessel was placed on a modular floating dock system, which was used to carry out yacht maintenance work, adding that during the dismantling, the floating dock was covered with debris, causing a safety hazard.
The bureau has requested suspension of all operations in the yacht berthing area and DSAMA officials will conduct a comprehensive safety investigation at the scene.
Firefighters work at the scene of yesterday’s vessel fire near Coloane’s Concórdia Industrial Park. – Photo courtesy of TDM
