Fire on Italian-Flagged Ship at Port of Newark Leaves Two Firefighters Dead
Two firefighters died in a tragic incident at the Port of Newark, New Jersey, in an attempt to extinguish a fire that broke out 9:30 pm, (EST) on the ro/ro vessel Grande Costa d’Avorio, operated by Grimaldi Deep Sea, a subsidiary of the Grimaldi Group.
The Italian-flagged ship was engaged in the loading operations of various rolling units, such as vans, cars, and trucks, when the fire started on deck number 10, which was attended by local stevedores and crew members.
According to Grimaldi, the crew members immediately activated the vessel's on-board fire suppression procedures, and the local firefighting service was alerted, and, per Grimaldi, their swift response "played a crucial role in containing and bringing the fire under control."
"Sadly, during the firefighting operations, Grimaldi Deep Sea was informed that two firefighters lost their lives. All company’s thoughts, prayers and sympathies are with their families and team currently. At this time, it is not known how the fire started, but the company will undertake a full investigation in close cooperation with all relevant authorities," Grimaldi Deep Sea said. Local media have reported that there were several injured firefighters, too.
No fuel spill has been detected at sea, nor does the ship's stability appear to be compromised, Grimaldi said.
The 2011-built Grande Costa d'Avorio has 28 crew members. It is carrying over 1.200 rolling units as well as 157 containers. There are no electric cars nor hazardous cargo on board, the company said.
The Ro/ro vessel is deployed on the North America-West Africa regular ro/ro service operated by Grimaldi Deep Sea.
Response continues
Coast Guard said Thursday morning it was, together with the Newark Fire Department, and multiple state and area agencies are continuing their response to a fire in Port Newark on the vehicle carrier ship, Grande Costa D’Avorio.
"Coast Guard watch standers at Sector New York received an initial call of a fire on the multi-level vessel at 9:38 PM.
A Coast Guard response boat out of Station New York, along with prevention and response teams, joined multiple area agencies as part of a unified response to the ongoing incident. There have been no reports of crew members injuries on the ship, however two Newark firefighters were fatally injured while responding to the fire," Coast Guard confirmed.
"Coast Guard is actively involved with the joint response and focused on the safety of responders, as well as assessing overall impact on the maritime transportation system and the environment," said Capt. Zeita Merchant, the commander of Coast Guard Sector New York and captain of the port of New York and New Jersey.
“Our thoughts are with Newark Fire Department, our partner agencies and the families of the firefighters lost during this response. These responders are working in inherently dangerous hazardous conditions when incidents of this nature occur, and their loss is truly tragic.”
Responders continue to fight the fire and a determination of environmental impact will be made once it is under control, Coast Guard said.