Deadly Chemical Tanker Blast off U.S. East Coast

The Bow Mariner, 39,821 dwt chemical tanker, was transporting 11,000 metric tons of industrial ethanol from New York to Texas when it exploded and sank, the vessel?s owner said.



The tanker is owned by Singapore-based Odfjell Asia II, which is a division of chemical transporter Odfjell based in Bergen, Norway. The 1982-built vessel is managed by Ceres Shipping Singapore, part of Greece-based Ceres Hellenic Shipping Enterprises. The vessel was classed by Det Norske Veritas (DNV).



The U.S. Coast Guard in Virginia said that an emergency call was made around 6 pm EST, saying an explosion had taken place on board. By the time the USCG arrived on the scene, the tanker was on fire and sinking. It took about three and a half hours for the ship to sink. 6 of the 24 Filipino crew members and 3 Greek crew members were evacuated in critical condition.



According to the latest ?port state control? information on the ship, the Bow Mariner was inspected in Vancouver, Canada in January, 2003, with no deficiencies and in Los Angeles/Long Beach in August, 2002, with one deficiency.



Prior to Ceres Hellenic Shipping taking over management of the vessel, it had numerous deficiencies, including a 21-day detention in 1999 for nine deficiencies covering crew certification, fire safety measures, safety in general, propulsion, auxiliary machinery, and safety of navigation issues.



?Odfjell is deeply saddened by this tragic accident that has caused loss of life,? the company in Bergen said in a released statement.