A fire broke out in the engine room of the Somali-flagged cargo ship AFADJA as it was sailing southeast of Cape Gata, in Limassol Bay. The fire was extinguished and all 12 crew members are safe.
According to an announcement by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), it received a distress call from the vessel at 11:40. The ship had 12 crew members on board.
AFADJA was located 8 nautical miles southeast of Cape Gata, in the maritime area of Limassol Bay and within the territorial waters of the Republic of Cyprus.
The JRCC activated the Special National Plan “NEARCHOS” and carried out a search and rescue operation. Those involved included a helicopter from the Police Air Operations Unit, the patrol vessels “IOANNIDIS” and “AMMOCHOSTOS” of the National Guard Naval Command, the “TRIKOMO” speedboat of the Port and Marine Police, the Fire Service’s EMAK special rescue unit, and the “EDT AETHER” firefighting/tug vessel of EDT Offshore. The JRCC has a Memorandum of Cooperation with the company.
The JRCC said the fire was extinguished with the assistance of the “EDT AETHER” and a Port and Marine Police vessel. All crew members are safe.
The vessel was subsequently towed to a safe area in Limassol Bay, the announcement concluded.
Source: CNA
