Fire from the Stolt Groenland is seen at the port of Ulsan, South Korea, September 28, 2019. Photo: Yonhap by means of Reuters

Maritime private investigators in the UK have actually launched an acting record right into the big surge aboard the chemical vessel Stolt Groenland in Ulsan, South Korea back in September, indicating the chain reaction entailing the ship’s styrene monomer freight as a primary emphasis of the examination moving forward.

The surge happened September 28, 2019 as the anchored Stolt Groenland was waiting for to begin a ship-to-ship freight transfer with the item vessel Bow Dalian.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) was asked to join the examination by Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands, with which the Stolt Groenland is signed up.

According to the MAIB’s acting record, launched today, the surge took place as a result of the unexpected accumulation of stress in the Stolt Groenland’s number 9 freight storage tank including styrene monomer, an extremely combustible chemical utilized planned of plastics, paints and also artificial rubber. The resulting surges and also fireball can be seen and also listened to for miles, and also passed extremely near to a roadway bridge over where the Stolt Groenland was anchored.

Amazingly, just relatively-minor injuries were endured by staff participants of the vessels and also emergency situation -responders. Damage to the Stolt Groenland’s freight manifold and also accomodation block, nonetheless, were substantial.

In launching its preliminary record, the MAIB has actually inquired relating to any kind of crash or ‘near-misses’ entailing the carriage of styrene monomer aboard ships, consisting of any kind of activities ultimately taken, to make sure that private investigators can identify what might have launched the polymerization of the styrene monomer.

So much, the MAIB has actually determined a comparable occurrence occurring November 20, 2019 in which the Cayman Islands- signed up chemical vessel Stolt Focus experienced the temperature level of the ship’s styrene monomer freight was gradually increasing. Only after the staff dispersed the freight in between 4 freight containers and also combined it with sea water did the styrene monomer maintain.

Along with styrene monomer, the MAIB stated it will certainly likewise take a look at freight surveillance and also the emergency situation reaction as component of the on-going examination in the Stolt Groenland occurrence.

No word yet on when a last record is anticipated.

The MAIB acting recordcan be found here