Iron Chieftain bulker vessel departed from Port Kembla on March 27, and is now heading to its final resting place in Turkey. The vessel suffered a major fire in June 2018, and 100 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the fire.
According to the Maritime Union of Australia, the Chieftain suffered irreparable damage after the fire. One of the last Iron ships with an Australian Crew before that fateful day.
Iron Chieftain, featuring 50,600 dwt, ignited on June 18 while alongside Berth 113 in Port Kembla Harbour. The bulker was discharging a load of dolomite when the belt drive system caught fire, which quickly spread along the system.
It took five days for the firefighters to bring the fire under control.
Yet, after hours of trying, the firefighters decided to adopt a more offensive strategy, in order to contain the fire in the cargo hold of the vessel.
As the bulker suffered irreparable damage, the ship’s operator CSL Group on July 10 made the decision to retire the vessel.
