A fire that broke out yesterday, Friday morning, in one of the vehicle parking areas of the cargo ship Blue Carrier 2 north of Mykonos is now subsiding; it subsequently spread to several other areas of the ship, leading to the decision to evacuate the 29 people on board.
According to officials from the rescue company leading the firefighting operation, the top priority is to stabilize the ship and create safe conditions so that a specialized rescue team can enter the vessel.
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The Blue Carrier 2 has listed slightly to the right, due to the large amounts of water used during the operation to cool the plates in a controlled manner and reduce the extremely high temperatures that had developed inside the ship.
The next step involves pumping out the water to improve the ship’s stability.
Subsequently, a specialized recovery team is expected to conduct an inspection of the interior to assess the situation in the areas where the fire broke out and spread, and to determine the next steps in the operation.
Firefighting and cooling operations are continuing today. The rescue tug Aigaion Pelagos is playing a central role; it arrived in the area yesterday afternoon and is participating in the ongoing water drops.
Once the fire is fully extinguished and the ship is deemed safe for movement, the possibility of towing it to a port is being considered; the specific port will be determined in consultation with the relevant authorities, the Coast Guard, and the Fire Department.
The 29 people on board—28 crew members and a truck driver—had evacuated the ship in time and were transported by Coast Guard vessels to the port of Tinos. Everyone is in good health.
The Blue Carrier 2 was operating the Piraeus – Syros – Vathi – Kos – Rhodes – Kos – Piraeus, carrying 166 trucks and 29 passenger cars.
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Source: KYPE/PROTO THEMA
