UPDATE: Jetty cleanup completed after trawler claims six lives
Police and other authorities are investigating.
PORT authorities have completed their clean-up of the Durban harbour jetty following the deadly fire which appears to have claimed the lives of six people on board a Mozambican fishing trawler which was gutted in a fire on Thursday afternoon, 14 February.
Paramedics and other emergency services rushed to the scene on Thursday to find the boat completely engulfed in flames while in dock for repairs at the Prince Edward Graving Dock in the harbour.
READ: Six bodies found on gutted Durban fishing trawler [VIDEO]
The vessel was docked at repair jetty 2 for its bi-annual maintenance repairs when a blaze erupted in the accommodation area of the vessel at about 2pm. “The repair work was being carried out by a private Mozambican ship repair contractor at the repair quay owned by Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA),” said acting Durban port manager Nokuzola Nkowane.
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The SAPS team which included forensics, diving and the search and rescue unit were accompanied by eThekwini Fire and Emergency Services, Immigration Services and Spilltech as they descended on the scene. eThekwini fire department extinguished the fire and successfully boarded the trawler. Initially three people had been unaccounted for but at about 2am the next morning, on safely boarding the gutted vessel, fire officials made the gruesome discovery of the bodies of six men. Police and other authorities are investigating.
READ: Ship on fire in Durban harbour
The jetty clean-up started soon after the fire was extinguished, and by Friday, 15 February, the pumping of fuel and water from the vessel had been completed and the vessel was rendered completely upright.
“The safety of our working environment remains our first concern and we are extremely distressed that this incident has occurred. Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of the six foreign crew members who lost their lives during this tragic incident on our shores. An investigation is underway and we are co-operating fully with the relevant authorities,” added Nkowane.
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