A 21,000-ton Panama vessel loaded with 4,530 cars from South Korea and sailing for Singapore reportedly caught fire. It has been drifting in Vung Tau.
The AH SHIN was engulfed with fire on Sunday while sailing along Vietnam’s south-central coast.
The boat is drifting approximately 45 km toward the southeast of Vung Tau, which is a beach town that borders Ho Chi Minh City.
Per reports, the fire began to spread out from the vessel’s tenth, ninth, and eighth floors. The ship measures 200 meters in length and 32 meters in width.
There are 21 Russian crew members on the vessel.
Besides 4,530 cars, the boat also had about 1,356 tons of oil.
The ship owner has asked for assistance from relevant Vietnamese authorities.
He said the crew members used all extinguishers to stop the fire. As of Sunday night, the smoke and fire were under control. However, the vessel had still been emitting quite a strong burning smell.
It has not yet been confirmed if any cars on board were impaired or if any individual was injured.
On Sunday, a Vietnamese official informed VnExpress that solid waves and rough seas prevented the rescuers from approaching the vessel.
Per maritime analytics provider of real-time information on ship movements and the current location of vessels in ports and harbours, AH SHIN is a vehicle carrier built in 1999. It sails with the flag of Panama.
She set sail from South Korea’s Incheon Port on 28 January, it said.
References: VN Express, UrduPoint