Mobile crane gutted in fire at Vizag port

VISAKHAPATNAM: A mobile harbor crane, engaged in unloading the iron-ore, caught fire at WQ -7 berth in Vizag Port on Monday wee hours. No one was injured in the mishap.
According to sources, the accident took place at around 12.15 am on Monday. The fire broke out at the crane's engine and soon engulfed the entire crane. The crane, owned and operated by Seapol Port Limited, was unloading the iron-ore from a vessel.
Authorities are suspecting short circuit might be the reason for the fire mishap. Luckily, no one was injured in the incident as per the preliminary information.
This was the second fire accident in the Vizag Port within 14 days as a mobile crane caught fire on August 27 when it was unloading the iron ore from the vessel MV Yasa Falcon at WQ -1 berth.
Interestingly, both the cranes gutted in the fire accident belong to Seapol Port Limited.
The VPT authorities said that the harbour mobile crane (HMC) was unloading DAP at vessel MV Yasa Falcon Cielo Di Francisco when the fire mishap took place. The HMC caught fire in the engine room and immediately the vessel was shifted safely away from the berth and the crane operator also got down safely. VPT deployed its fire float, shore fire tenders and water tankers for controlling the blaze.
VPT authorities informed that incident is being investigated. Operations resumed immediately after extinguishing the fire at the berth and the situation is now normal.