Marine Accident Report About The Fire On Ro-Ro Cargo Ship PARIDA
On 7 October 2014, there was a fire on board the Danish flagged ro-ro cargo ship PARIDA while underway from Scrabster, United Kingdom, to Antwerp, Belgium, loaded with nuclear waste material. The fire indirectly immobilized the main engine, which caused the ship to drift in the direction of a nearby oil-field installation, resulting in the risk of an allision.
The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) has in the investigation focused on a number of topics in relation to the fire. Among these are the properties of on-board systems and their functioning during normal operating conditions and their functioning during an emergency situation where the design is challenged by unintended and unforeseen conditions. Some of the factors preventing the unfolding of the full potential of the emergency are addressed.
It is concluded that the interrelation between the accidental events on board and interactions with the external environment created a propagating effect where a malfunctioning pressure gauge caused the evacuation of an oil-field installation. The investigation establishes that the nature of the cargo carried on board had no particular significance during the emergency situation.
