Marine

24.9, cutting of air ducts, fatalities

UK: asphyxiation killed two seafarers in the forward store of a Latvian general cargo vessel Sava Lake, after an earlier crew cut the flexible bellow pieces with the effect of creating a direct air path from the cargo hold, according to an investigation by the UK’s Marine Accident Branch. The two men were noticed missing as Sava Lake proceeded towards the Dover Strait. After a search found the corpses, the vessel diverted to Dover, where the MAIB and the Maritime Administration of Latvia commenced their inquiries. Sava Lake, which was en route from Copenhagen to Leixoes, was laden with parcels of steel turnings, a cargo that is liable to self-heat, therefore reducing the amount of oxygen within a hold. Documentation on board the vessel indicated that it was specifically prohibited from carrying steel turnings. Investigators found that the flexible bellow piece fitted adjacent to the ventilation fan had been cut. This was most likely done to clear the cargo hold ventilation trunking of a build up of cargo residues or sea water. Air in the hold, with an oxygen content of just 6 percent, found its way into the forward store, leading to the asphyxiation of the victims after they entered the unventilated space. It could not be established why the seafarers entered the forward store without the knowledge of senior officers and why no precautions were taken before entry.