Malta investigating incident on tanker

The merchant shipping directorate of the Malta Maritime Authority is investigating an incident in the engine room involving the Maltese-registered tanker Apageon which happened last Thursday afternoon some 20 nautical miles off Mangalia, Romania. According to a Reuter's report on Thursday, the incident was an explosion.

The authority said information received so far indicated that the chief engineer and electrician were exposed to high heat and suffered burns in the face and arms while investigating a technical problem in the vessel's main engine.

The vessel's ship management response plan was set in motion as soon as the incident occurred. The two injured seamen were airlifted and admitted to a hospital in Costanza, Romania within one hour of the incident. It was also ascertained that there was no other damage to the vessel and that the auxiliary engines and all emergency equipment on the vessel were operational.

A team of repair technicians and shore engineers from Mangalia shipyard, in which the vessel had just completed a scheduled dry docking and repairs programme, were immediately on board the vessel to inspect the main engine damage while another chief engineer was sent from Greece and was scheduled to take up his duties on board the vessel yesterday afternoon.

The Apageon is a 1982-built tanker of 50,577 gross tonnage and at the time of the incident was in ballast, had no cargo and was in a gas-free condition following the drydocking and repairs at Mangalia, the authority said.