Korean RoRo Turns Around After Reporting Truck Fire
A Korean-flagged RoRo operating as a ferry was forced to turn around on Friday evening, February 6, after the crew discovered a truck fire onboard. The crew, aided by the local fire department and the Coast Guard, was able to bring the fire under control after about two hours.
The Korean Coast Guard unit in Jeju and the fire department reported receiving the report of the fire at about 5:30 pm local time. The ship had departed Jeju bound for Mokpo approximately 40 minutes earlier. It had a crew of 16 aboard plus 12 truck drivers. The ship was reported to be carrying a total of 127 vehicles, including 86 trucks and 41 passenger cars.
The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter to survey the situation while four patrol boats were also deployed. The fire department was put on standby at the pier awaiting the arrival of the ship.
After the fire alarms went off on the vessel, the crew initiated the fire suppression systems while the captain turned the vessel around to return to Jeju. Pictures from the Coast Guard show smoke emitted from the ferry, Seaworld Marine 2 (6,000 dwt). Built in 2002 as a Japanese vehicle carrier, the ferry has been operating in Korea since 2024.
(Jeju Fire and Safety Headquarters)
Medical teams set up an emergency station on the dock and reported treating crewmembers and truck drivers for smoke inhalation. Four people, two crewmembers and two truck drivers, were sent on to the hospital for further treatment.
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Fire crews reported they were able to extinguish the fire about an hour after the vessel returned to the dock. Three trucks were reportedly heavily damaged, and a survey was ongoing of the vessel.
The fire was believed to have started in a refrigerated truck. The Coast Guard and fire department said they would be reviewing closed-circuit TV from the cargo areas to determine the cause of the fire.