Video: Fire Engulfs Italian Pusher Tug

Published Jun 19, 2016 9:39 PM by The Maritime Executive

[Brief] On the evening of June 17, the ATB tug Ursa Major was pushing its barge about 12 nm off the coast of Calabria, en route to the port of Genoa, when a fire broke out and engulfed her superstructure. Italian media identifid the engine room as the source of the fire.

Her 13 crewmembers were rescued by a Coast Guard patrol boat. Two fireboats responded to extinguish the blaze.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The 2001-built, Italian-flagged Ursa Major is owned by Ilva Servizi Marittimi of Milan. Her inspection record shows one sole deficiency, for cleanliness of engine room, in a port state control visit in 2013.