Twelve crew members, including Chinese and Indonesian nationals escaped a fire that broke out on their fishing vessel on Wednesday night.
The vessel, DAE JIN, was birthed in the Suva Harbour.
Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) CEO Joweli Cawaki, confirmed the incident, stating the fire started in the vessel’s engine room while it was moored among other ships.
“When it caught fire, the crew and the team there, they tried to fight the fire but what we’ve been told, the fire came out of the engine room,” Mr Cawaki said.
“So they tried, and Port Authority, the Harbour Master raised the alarm with our Fiji boats.
“After that they were able to dispatch a tug to tow it out.
“So the best option at the time was not to fight the fire, but just to throw out the vessel.”
As of midday today, the vessel was still burning inside the engine room.
Mr Cawaki confirmed that MSAF, as the vessel’s flag state authority, will conduct an investigation into the cause of the fire.
Additionally, the Port Authority will carry out its own inquiry since the incident occurred within port boundaries.
While there were no fatalities, some crew members sustained injuries and were taken to Colonial War Memorial Hospital for treatment.
“They need to look after the boat because that is their home, it is their place of work.
“And again, it’s where the source for the income and also for the family.”
The vessel, built in 2001 and registered to Service Marine Ltd, was still billowing smoke offshore as authorities continued monitoring the situation.
