The Nigerian Navy has saved 20 crew members from a vessel that caught fire along the Calabar axis of the Oron–Calabar waterways.
The operation took place on Monday when the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS OSE, responded to a distress signal from the Motor Vessel MV Chimba Express, which was traveling from Gabon to Calabar with scrap materials and other supplies onboard.
In a statement issued by the Base Operations Officer of the Nigerian Navy Ship VICTORY, Lieutenant Commander Kelechi Ahunanya, and made available to journalists on Tuesday, it was disclosed that NNS OSE received the emergency call around 1:00 pm while on a routine patrol.
The statement said that upon arrival at the scene, thick smoke was observed billowing from the vessel, prompting immediate rescue operations by naval personnel.
“Crew members who had abandoned the vessel, as well as those stranded on deck, were rescued using life buoys,” the statement read.
It added that 20 crew members were successfully rescued and administered first aid. The vessel was said to be crewed by 21 persons, comprising 14 Nigerians and seven Cameroonians.
Ahunanya noted that the Chief Engineer of the vessel, who reportedly jumped into the water for fear of an explosion, remains missing, adding that search and rescue operations are ongoing.
It further disclosed that personnel from Forward Operating Base Ibaka, Naval Security Station 030 Houseboat, and local fishermen supported the rescue operation.
It also said that NNS OSE deployed portable pumps to combat the fire, which affected the midship and aft sections of the vessel.
Ahunanya reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigerian Navy to the safety of seafarers and the protection of maritime assets within Nigeria’s waters, in line with the mission of the Chief of the Naval Staff.
