A fire broke out aboard the cargo vessel, CHANG MIN on 20 June while it was docked at the ENL Terminal in Apapa Port, Lagos in Nigeria.
The incident occurred during cargo offloading activities and triggered an immediate multi-party emergency response. According to Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the fire affected the second section of the ship’s cargo hold.
Furthermore, according to local reports, the vessel was carrying highly flammable cargo, including CNG-powered trucks, wooden goods and tyres. The emergency services responded swiftly, coordinating with the vessel’s crew to assess the situation.
Initial actions focused on sealing the affected cargo hold to limit oxygen flow and suppress the flames, followed by a firefighting operation that enabled crews to re-enter the compartment and fully extinguish the fire.
Preliminary investigations by emergency responders indicated that the fire was first observed during unloading, though the exact cause remains undetermined. Responding agencies included the LASEMA Response Team, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Nigerian Ports Authority Fire Unit and ENL Consortium Ltd.
“There were no casualties and no injuries were sustained to anyone as all seafarers on board have been accounted for” said Dr. Oke-Osanyintolu.
The Secretary also confirmed that the fire had been completely extinguished and that recovery operations had been concluded.
