By Ike Uchechukwu
Calabar—The Nigerian Navy has rescued 20 crew members after a vessel caught fire along the Calabar Channel on Monday night.
The Base Operations Officer, Lt.-Cdr. Kelechi Ahunanya, disclosed this in a statement made available to Vanguard in Calabar, yesterday.
Ahunanya said the vessel, Motor Vessel (MV) Chimba Express, had 21 persons on board, comprising 14 Nigerians and seven Cameroonians, noting that one crew member remains missing as of the time of filing this report.
According to him, the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) OSE, while on routine patrol, responded to a distress call at about 1300 hours from the vessel, which was en route from Gabon to Calabar, conveying scrap materials and other logistics.
He said: “On arrival at the scene, thick smoke was observed emanating from the vessel, which necessitated immediate rescue operations.
“Crew members who had abandoned the ship, as well as those stranded on deck, were rescued using life buoys. Twenty crew members were successfully rescued and administered first aid,” he said.
He added that the Chief Engineer, who reportedly jumped overboard for fear of a possible explosion, is still missing, adding that search and rescue operations are ongoing.
Ahunanya disclosed that the rescue operation was supported by personnel from the Forward Operating Base, Ibaka, and the Naval Security Station 030 Houseboat, with assistance from local fishermen in the area.
He further stated that NNS OSE deployed portable pumps to fight the fire, which affected the midship and aft sections of the vessel.
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