Explosion and Fire on Norwegian Tanker Carrying Sulfuric Acid
Norwegian authorities and the shipping company Utkilen are reporting the situation is stable after an explosion and fire broke out Tuesday afternoon, July 28, aboard the tanker Bergstraum (9,494 dwt). The ship was outside Fredrikstad, Norway, south of the entrance to Oslo Fjord, when the incident took place, with concerns over a possible release of its cargo of sulfuric acid.
Two rescue boats from Redningsselskapet, along with two police boats, a fireboat, the Coast Guard, and Swedish rescue vessels, all responded to the report of the explosion at approximately 1533 local time on July 28. The rescue boat Stormbull transported firefighters from shore, and a helicopter was also used to bring firefighters to the tanker.
Reports indicate the crew was using foam and was able to quickly bring the fire under control. However, as a precaution, the lifeboat was also being prepared for an evacuation. The ship, which is registered in Norway, has 15 Baltic and Filipino crewmembers onboard, and they were all accounted for without injuries.
CEO of Utkilen, Siri-Anne Mjatvedt, told Norwegian broadcast news that the explosion happened in an empty tank and that it did not affect the main cargo. He said the cause of the explosion was still under investigation.
The main rescue center, HRS Norway, was reporting as of later on Tuesday that the fire was extinguished but that there was still some smoke development. It said cooling operations were ongoing. The company said it was waiting for permission to move the vessel into port.
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Concerns had been raised because of the highly toxic nature of the cargo and the potential damage it could cause to the surrounding environment. According to the reports, there is a large storage facility where the cargo was bound, and it is used in the production of fertilizer and other chemicals.
The same ship had another incident in 2022 when it suffered an engine failure. In that instance, it had to be towed to port.
