A sea-going vessel from Gabon, MV Chimba Express, was gutted by fire on Tuesday along the Calabar section of the Oron–Calabar waterways in Cross River State, with 20 crew members rescued by the Nigerian Navy.
The vessel, which was reportedly transporting scrap materials and other logistics from Gabon to Calabar, sent out a distress call while on the journey.
Responding to the emergency, the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS OSE, rescued all 20 crew members on board. Those rescued included 14 Nigerians and six Cameroonians.
Confirming the incident, the Base Operations Officer of the Nigerian Navy Ship VICTORY, Lieutenant Commander Kelechi Ahunanya, said NNS OSE was on routine patrol when it received the distress alert at about 1:00 pm.
According to him, naval personnel moved swiftly to the scene after receiving the call.
“Upon arrival at the scene, thick smoke was observed billowing from the vessel, prompting immediate rescue operations by naval personnel,” Ahunanya said.
He explained that some of the crew had already abandoned the vessel due to the intensity of the fire, while others were trapped on deck.
“Crew members who had abandoned the vessel, as well as those stranded on deck, were rescued using life buoys,” he added.
Ahunanya said all 20 rescued crew members were given first aid after being brought to safety.
However, he disclosed that the Chief Engineer of the vessel is feared dead after allegedly jumping into the water to escape a possible explosion.
“The Chief Engineer of the vessel, who reportedly jumped into the water for fear of an explosion, is feared to have died,” he said, adding that search and rescue operations were still ongoing.
The navy officer also revealed that the rescue effort was supported by personnel from Forward Operating Base Ibaka, Naval Security Station 030 Houseboat, as well as local fishermen operating in the area.
The cause of the fire on the vessel was not immediately known as of the time of filing this report.
