Staying aboard burning ship ‘was the right move’
Thursday 17th November 2011, 1:00PM GMT.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue teams on the Portsmouth ro-ro ramp.
CONDOR’S crew did the right thing by keeping passengers on board Commodore Clipper as they tried to get a fire under control, its managing director said yesterday.
Simon Edsall said a Marine Accident Investigation Branch report into the blaze found that the crew, in consultation with emergency services, made the right decision by keeping everyone on board for the duration of the incident in June last year.
‘It praises the crew’s efforts in bringing everyone on the ship safely to shore.
‘It is pleasing to see that by keeping passengers onboard the ferry while dealing with the fire, the captain and the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service made the right and safest decision in the circumstances. The report also notes the tenacity and skill of the chief engineer and his team.’
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It amazes me that even after this fire on the cargo deck, which by the way is the only way off for pedestrian passengers, that escape doors haven`t been cut in the sides of the ship or drop down gangways from the upper decks constructed to accomodate such an emergency.
The trapped passengers could have been evacuated safely in minutes after docking, or even at sea, if either option were adopted.
Still, cargo is more expensive and lucrative than passengers and it seems as long as Condor can save the cargo then passenger safety doesn`t need to be a priority.
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I am very surprised that this was endorsed by the MAIB. Having first hand experience of fires at sea it is unusual to not remove people from the vessel at the first opportunity. I can think of two instances, one involving an aircraft and one an oil rig where not removing people has resulted in disaster.
What surprises me more is the apparent lack of chastisement for not responding immediately to an alarm….20 minutes! Once again through personal experience, seconds count, and I mean seconds. One can go through literally hundreds of false alarms….and drills…but when the real thing crops up it is all to easy to be blasee…but it shouldn’t. Fortunately on this occasion it wasn’t a tragic learning by mistake, but it could quite easily have been. A lesson for all.
Cheers,
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Why is there no gangway door or gate at the side of the ship to allow passengers to walk off the ship should it be necessary?
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Ectopudding,
Don`t you read other people`s submissions before sending yours in?
I think you`ll find that you have just repeated what I submitted days ago.
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