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The fire on a Panama-registered gas ship in Chinese waters a month ago was caused by a burst oil pipe, from which fuel gushed out to the smoke ejectors and were burnt, an official said Tuesday.
Disorderly management on the ship also contributed to the accident, said Liu Yingli, vice-mayor of Shenzhen, quoting the local maritime department that conducted the investigation.
The staff failed to deal with the emergency successfully and made some mistakes when operating the fire extinguishing system of carbon dioxide, allowing the fire to get out of control, according to a report from the local maritime safety administration.
Any lingering risks were eradicated as the last two patrol ships withdrew from the vessel Tuesday morning.
The Panama-registered tanker GAZ POEM carrying 20,000 tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) on its way to the Hua'an LNG wharf in Shenzhen caught fire off the coast of Shenzhen City on Nov. 23.
All 34 crew on board the GAZ Poem were rescued shortly after the Hong Kong Maritime Rescue-Coordination Center received a report late that night from the vessel that the engine room was on fire, according to earlier reports.
(Xinhua News Agency December 24, 2002)
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