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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published an investigation report into the engine room fire aboard the 'Tarka II' and subsequent sinking on Sep 10, 2024. At 4 p.. the fishing vessel was transiting in the Pacific Ocean about four miles southwest of Tatoosh Island, Washington. AFter the captain discovered the fire in the engine room, the two crew members did not attempt to fight the fire. They abandoned the vessel into a liferaft and were rescued by the US Coast Guard. The vessel later sank with an estimated 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board. There were no injuries. The vessel was not recovered and considered a total loss, valued at $460,000. The captain had observed smoke emanating from the sides of the exhaust stacks located just aft of the wheelhouse, likely from engine room vents on or near the main exhaust stacks. When he entered the engine room, he noticed white smoke that smelled like engine exhaust, and he believed there was an exhaust leak. After shutting down the generator and main engine, the captain then noticed a small, smoldering fire on the port side of the engine room near the hydraulic tank and hydraulic pump. Shortly after he observed the fire, the smoke turned black, and the flames intensified. The rapid growth of the fire and black smoke indicated a fuel source ignited, and opening of the engine room door introduced additional oxygen to the fire, further intensifying the fire. The hydraulic lines for the davit were not pressurized at the time of the fire. However, the steering system’s hydraulic lines (pipes and hoses) were pressurized. The captain noted that hydraulic lines ran inches from the engine exhaust pipes, which were protected by fiberglass lagging. Investigators were unable to verify the condition or arrangement of the exhaust lagging in the engine room because the vessel sank and there were no photos available of the engine room before the fire. The smoke initially looked and smelled like engine exhaust. It is possible that exhaust pipe heat, or an exhaust leak, either from the main engine or the running no. 1 auxiliary generator, ruptured one of the pressurized hydraulic lines, causing the hydraulic fluid to spray and ignite on a nearby, unprotected hot surface, and spread to nearby combustibles. However, because the Tarka II sank and was not recovered, the exact source of the fire could not be determined. The captain had no indication of the fire before he saw smoke coming from the sides of the vessel’s exhaust stacks. The engine room was equipped with a CCTV camera that displayed on a monitor in the wheelhouse, but it was not in use at the time of the fire. Additionally, there were no smoke or fire detectors installed in the engine room, nor were any required. The two smoke detectors on board were located just outside of the engine room door and in the galley, and they only activated after the captain opened the engine room door to investigate the smoke. It was unknown how long the fire had been burning before the captain noticed smoke; however, had the engine room CCTV system been on or had smoke or fire detectors been installed in the engine room, the captain would have likely been alerted to the fire sooner. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the fire aboard the 'Tarka II' was an unknown source within the engine room. Full report: file:///C:/Users/TEMP.UNI-KIEL/Downloads/NTSB-Fire-aboard-fishing-vessel-Tarka-II-2025_06.pdf

Rumors circulating initially villainized the 37-year-old father, who jumped behind his daughter from the 'Disney Dream', claiming he lifted his daughter on top of a 3.5ft railing for the sake of a photo have been set straight. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the little girl was not being held by her father in the moments before the fall. The girl was on the railing and fell backwards through a porthole, Sheriff Gregory Tony said on July 2. He noted that the father hadn’t placed the child on the railing but did not specify who did or whether the child climbed on top alone. At some point, the mother raised the alarm and alerted her husband, who didn’t see the incident. He then jumped into the ocean to save his daughter, Moments after the girl plunged into the water, the father kept his daughter alive by treading the water with her for 20 minutes until rescuers arrived with a tender that was launched from the ship. Report with photos: https://www.boredpanda.com/police-speak-out-rumor-dad-who-saved-daughter-after-she-fell-overboard-disney-cruise-ship/

The fires caused by the huge explosion in the commercial port of Bandar Abbas on the morning of April 26 were still spreading two days later. Heat and fire detected by the NASA FIRMS system on the morning of April 29 still showed no signs of any retreat, with the area affected now having spread from the container park to the quays of the port itself. The firefighting services have been overwhelmed, even though reinforcements have been brought in from as far away as Tehran; two days after the initial explosion, some areas of the fire were not being tackled at all, and in other areas confused port workers who should have been evacuated were still wandering around or sheltering in empty containers in what was clearly still a dangerous area.

U.S. strikes on Yemen’s Ras Isa fuel terminal on the Red Sea coast have killed at least 74 people in the deadliest attack since the U.S. started its bombing campaign against the Houthis on April 16, 2025. Health ministry spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi said 171 people were injured in the strikes, according to preliminary figures, with rescue teams continuing efforts to search for victims. Report iwth photo: https://gcaptain.com/u-s-launches-deadliest-strike-on-yemens-ras-isa-fuel-terminal/

The 'Life Support' reached the port of Augusta on June 29 at 1 p.m., after retrieving the bodies of two migrants in international waters in the Libyan SAR zone on June 27. The ship's captain Augusto Candido said it was the first time that the Life Support had retrieved bodies instead of rescuing people, and it was a very difficult experience for crew members. The alarm was raised on June 26, by the migrant-rescue vessel 'Sea-Watch' after its aircraft Seabird filmed one of the bodies and saw five others in the waters off Libya. It was supposed that a vessel in distress sank unbeknown or that the case was reported but remained without an answer for too many days, or that Libyan coast guards or other Libyans intercepted it and that some people were thrown into the sea so they wouldn't have to be taken back to Libya, Given the advanced decomposition of the bodies, officials couldn't initially determine their gender. It was presumed that they remained at sea for at least a week, given their condition.

On July 2, 2025, an overflow of fuel oil occurred during unloading operations of the 'Capella' at the Punta Pereira Port Terminal, in the department of Colonia. The Colonia Port Authority intervened immediately and brought the situation under control.Containment barriers had already been installed as a precautionary measure at the time of the incident. The spill remained contained and under under surveillance of the Río de la Plata District Chief of Staff (JECRI). Due to the low temperatures, the hydrocarbon is in a nearly solid state, which prevented mechanical collection using skimmers, equipment typically used for these types of incidents. Prefecture personnel worked on site to ensure the stability of the affected area and minimize the environmental impact. Report with photo: https://www.carmeloportal.com/112656-desborde-de-fuel-oil-en-el-puerto-de-punta-pereira-el-buque-capella-bajo-control

On April 22, 2025,at 4 p.m. a gas leak on a barge on the Houston Ship Channel prompted community alerts. but no air quality threats have been detected. A vapor release occurred aboard a barge of the Kirby Inland Marine at the Targa Resources dock in Galena, Greater Houston, at the at 12510 American Petroleum Road. The leak released an unspecified quantity of butadiene, an industrial gas used for making plastics and synthetic rubber (like car tires). 1,3-butadiene is an EPA-listed carcinogen, an inhalation irritant, and highly flammable, but breaks down quickly in the atmosphere, limiting the time in which it can have an effect. The leak occurred because of a broken valve. It was contained at 10 p.m., and the barge was towed to a safe location belonging to the Kirby Inland Marine for further evaluations. The Targa Resources dock on the Houston Ship Channel has reopened to full service by the U.S. Coast Guard on April 23 at 3 a.-m. No injuries were reported from the gas leak. Report with video: https://www.click2houston.com/video/news/2025/04/23/chemical-leak-contained-after-barge-incident-at-houston-ship-channel/

German Investors Eye Opportunities in Bangladesh’s Ship Recycling Sector During Visit to PHP Yard in Chittagong https://www.shippinginbox.com/german-investors-eye-opportunities-in-bangladeshs-ship-recycling-sector-during-visit-to-php-yard-in-chattogram/

A 67 year old British passenger aboard the 'Marella Explorer 2' has died on the cruise ship in the port of Corfu on July 1, 2025. The Port Authority was informed of the death of the man in the morning. The body was transferred to the Corfu General Hospital for an autopsy. A preliminary investigation was being conducted by the Corfu Central Port Authority.

The 'Don Toyo' was detained by the Argentine authorities in the province of Corrientes on June 27., 2025, at kilometer 1,224 of the Paraná River following a routine inspection by the Coast Guard. The measure was taken by the General Directorate of Customs (DGA) after detecting alleged irregularities in the international cargo documentation. The vessel was anchored upstream of the city of Corrientes.It had sailed from Pilar (Paraguay) bound for the Buenos Aires port of Dock Sud, carrying a total of 399 containers at the time of its interdiction. The ship was seized after a routine inspection carried out by the Argentine Naval Prefecture, which observed the lack of an international cargo manifest validated by Paraguayan Customs. This documentation is required for the movement of goods under international regulations on the Paraguay-Paraná waterway. An evaluation is being made as to whether this was an administrative omission or a more serious violation.

Another airstrike was made by the US armed forces on the Houthi-controlled fuel port of Ras Isa on April 17, marking a major escalation of the US administration against the Houthi forces for their attacks on passing vessels in the Red Sea. The strike has destroyed multiple oil storage tanks, cratered a jetty at the port, and wrecked many tanker trucks. The Houthis have reported a casualty count of around 70 to 80 people and injuries to around 150-170 people, including port workers, truck drivers, and paramedics.

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