Fire Aboard Tanker Gindara Injures Two in Philippine Port

A fire broke out on September 30 aboard the tanker Gindara, which was carrying molasses and was berthed at the Balayan Distillery Inc. facilities in the city of Calaca, Batangas province, Philippines. The fire reportedly originated in the engine room and later spread to the accommodation block, the bridge and the vessel's superstructure. Of the 22 crew members on board, 20 were located and reported safe, while two were injured and had to be taken to medical facilities.

The Philippine Coast Guard, local firefighters, volunteers and tugboats responded to the scene to fight the flames. To reinforce firefighting efforts, the multi-purpose response vessel BRP Malapascua was deployed, described by Maritime Executive as 144 feet in length and by safety4sea as 44 meters. According to the Coast Guard, by Thursday during the day no visible fire was observed on the bridge or superstructure, although smoke persisted.

Regarding the two injured crew members, safety4sea reported that one was admitted to Metro Lemery Medical Center, while the other suffered a smoke inhalation injury and was treated at Metro Calaca Hospital, from which he left against medical advice. Marinetraffic Maritime News, meanwhile, stated that one of the injured was discharged after receiving treatment for smoke inhalation, while the other remained under medical care.

Marinetraffic Maritime News noted that the fire in the superstructure was extinguished during the night of September 30, although smoke continued to emerge from inside the vessel. The Philippine Coast Guard planned to launch an investigation once firefighting operations concluded, while the Maritime Safety Investigation Unit opened an inquiry to determine the cause of the incident and assess the damage sustained by the Gindara's superstructure.