Operations at Tin Can Island Ports and Cargo Terminal Berths 7 and 8 were interrupted for several hours as a crane caught fire and impacted the MV. ALGECIRAS EXPRESS vessel, which was carrying containers.
Eyewitnesses say the crane went up in flames while unloading containers from the ship causing the fire to spread to the vessel and other containers.
The fire, which involved a Liebherr crane and Mv Hapag-Lloyd, was caused by a mechanical malfunction and raged for approximately four hours before firefighters were able to bring it under control.
At the time of press, the Port Manager of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) had not confirmed the incident.
However, an NPA official stated that the situation was contained by firefighters after they spent nearly four hours at the scene of the incident.
He said: “The fire incident emanated from a crane that was off loading containers from an MSC vessel.
“It also affected containers on top of the vessel. The vessel was also affected. The situation has been brought under control by firemen spending almost four hours at the scene of the incident.”
A staff of the affected MV. ALGECIRAS EXPRESS, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said two units of the containers were affected.
He said they have already been discharged to check if the commodity inside is affected, adding that no life was lost.
