Ships sink after another blaze
Fire and smoke reignited early yesterday on fishing ships that were destroyed Monday evening as they caught fire, before some of them were partially submerged.
The reignition was observed at about 6:40 a.m. yesterday.
Rescue efforts by the Fire Services Bureau (CB) and the Macao Customs (SA) were mobilized and traveled immediately to the scene. The fire was then quickly put out.
According to the CB, at 11:30 p.m. Monday night, another ship tilted to one side, although there was no visible fire. Moreover, two other ships were still seen to be affected by fire. The tackling was consumed overnight.
With a ship partially sunk into the water, signs of fuel leakage were seen on the sea from a high angle.
The fires affecting several ships that were towed to the berth Monday night by the Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA) was pronounced extinguished at 4 a.m. yesterday. Search has been conducted with no injury or casualty found.
As the fire restarted, a woman aged 63 years who was reported to be a ship owner said that she was experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath and high blood pressure. She also displayed distress. In the company of family members, she was sent to the government hospital for checks.
Lei Chon In, deputy executive director of the Associação de Mútuo Auxílio dos Moradores da Marginal (Coastal Area Residents’ Mutual Help Association), told local media outlet Macao Daily News that the government should review and renew laws and regulations governing marine safety.
He added that given Macau has been allowed to administer a relatively large area of marine territory, such legal updates are necessary to align with prospective marine development.
Although the fire had been extinguished as of press time, some ship owners expressed their disagreement or dissatisfaction with the government’s strategies in tackling the fire.
Due to the upcoming fishery recess period, ships are anchored on the coastline off the Pier 16 and the Sofitel Hotel. They were tied closely together with ropes to provide stronger protection against typhoon and monsoons.
The recess period will start on May 1 and end on August 16. The fishing recess period is intended to prevent overfishing by leaving time for fish to reproduce.
Some ship owners desired to return to their boats on Monday evening when the blaze had just started to try and cut off the ropes so their ships, which were at that point not on fire, could move away from the scene, which would prevent the fire from spreading.
However, according to local reports, the rescuing teams forbade those owners from doing cutting the ropes of their boats, citing safety as the major reason.
Ship owners admitted that the ships had highly flammable materials onboard, such as gasoline and liquidized petroleum gas, because sometimes the owners, their families, and staff reside on the ships.
This explains why several explosions were seen and heard during the fire on Monday.
Ship owners estimate the repair costs will range from one to two million patacas for each ship.
They also accused the government of not having enough equipment to tackle fire on the sea of such severity.
According to them, insurance coverage has been a problem because the service is not considered profitable, making it difficult for owners to purchase suitable insurance plans.
Meanwhile, the ferry service between the Inner Harbour and Wanzhai of neighboring Zhuhai was suspended Monday night to allow for firefighting. The service resumed at 3 p.m. yesterday.
Gov’t to support owners of burnt fishing boats
The Maritime and Water Bureau, the Customs Service, the Fire Bureau, and the Social Work Bureau will support the owners and families of the fishing boats that caught fire.
According to authorities, when the possibility of fire again is completely ruled out, and the sea conditions permit, the administration will arrange for the shipowners to inspect the damage of their ships to determine how to salvage them, as well as other follow-up work.
Among the six fishing boats involved in the accident, there is one Macau-registered fishing boat and five Hong Kong-registered fishing boats.
The bureau can assist the owners of the Macau-registered fishing boats to apply for a deferment of the loan repayment to the fishery fund, and has also contacted the Hong Kong Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation.
More than 30 vessels and more than 200 rescue personnel were dispatched Monday and yesterday.
