25 out of a total of 29 crew members were rescued after the fire on the fishing vessel "Triumph" near Kamchatka. Four sailors remain missing, and seven were injured. All those rescued were brought ashore in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, while the search for the missing continues.
The fire broke out on September 25 in the Pacific Ocean, about 30 kilometers east of Cape Khodzhelaiko, near Cape Povorotny. The crew left the burning ship and boarded life rafts. The passing fishing trawler "Perseus" noticed the people and took 25 sailors on board, including the captain of the “Triumph“.
“We approached the life rafts, lowered the ladder and started lifting people on board. There were some seriously ill people who we had to lift ourselves. We lifted all 25 people and they are all alive and well. That is the most important thing.“, tells Russian media the sailor from the “Perseus“ Roman Efremov, who participated in the rescue operation. The sailors were given warm clothes, food and the opportunity to warm up.
Seven injured, four in hospital
After the “Perseus“ arrived in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the rescue ship “Pechak“ made two trips to the port. First, the sailors with more serious injuries were transferred to the shore, and then the remaining rescued ones. The operation involved employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the regional rescue center and medical teams.
According to the latest information, transmitted by TASS from the Kamchatka Regional Hospital, four injured people have been hospitalized. Two are in serious condition, and two others have moderate injuries. The sailors have signs of carbon monoxide poisoning and burns of the upper respiratory tract.
Three vessels are searching for the missing
“The whereabouts of the four sailors have not yet been established“, the Kamchatka department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported. Three vessels are involved in the search, including the “Sivuch“ and the rescue ship “Suvorovets“ sent from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Russia for violation of safety rules in the movement and operation of maritime transport. The investigation is considering several versions of the cause of the fire: a technical malfunction of electrical equipment, a violation of fire safety rules and a violation of the rules for the technical operation of the ship.
“Triumph“ is a small specialized ship built in Japan in 1992. The ship is based in Vladivostok and is owned by the fishing collective farm “Vostok-1“. The search and rescue operation and investigation are ongoing.
Sources: TASS, RBC, AiF Kamchatka