Sweden asks Norway to help as fire on timber vessels threatens to spread
STOCKHOLM, December 8 (Reuters) – Sweden has asked Norway for help in fighting a fire that started on a cargo ship carrying timber off Sweden’s west coast last Saturday because it risks spreading, the authorities say.
Severe weather had so far made it difficult to put out the fire. The Swedish Coast Guard said that they now hope to be able to tow the ship, Almirante Storni, to a port or calm conditions.
“It would increase our chances of doing more efficient work,” said a Coast Guard spokesman.
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There was no imminent risk of an oil spill because the fuel tanks were not yet affected, the spokesman said.
The fire had not spread to the ship itself, but the heat spread over the entire cargo, which increased the risk that the fire would increase, he said.
He added that neighboring Norway would help Swedish authorities later on Wednesday in their efforts to put out the fire, which was going into its fifth day.
There have been no injuries related to the fire at Almirante Storni, which contains 600 tonnes of fuel and is anchored outside Gothenburg.
The crew of 17 has not been evacuated from the ship, which sails under the Liberian flag. Read more
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Reporting by Helena Söderpalm; Editing Angus MacSwan
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