The French Prefect Maritime de l’Atlantique is reporting {that a} Turkish-owned cargo ship was evacuated after a fireplace throughout a robust storm within the Bay of Biscay. The crew is secure and the vessel is now underneath tow heading to the French port of Brest after a tense state of affairs on board.

The experiences of the hearth aboard the Guana, an 18,965 dwt cargo ship registered in Panama, have been despatched to the French authorities round 1:15 a.m. native time on December 27. The ship which was crusing from Immingham, UK to Iskenderun, Turkey with a cargo of iron fittings, mentioned it was an engine room hearth however by 2:35 a.m. reported the hearth had been introduced underneath management and all 20 of the crewmembers have been secure.

During the day, the French Maritime Prefect for the Atlantic had posted a warning for a extreme gale within the northern components of the Bay of Biscay and alongside the Atlantic shoreline. They have been forecasting Force 8 (above 40 mph) wind gusts and really robust seas. At the time of the report of the hearth, they mentioned the seas have been at state 5 (waves operating at 8 to 13 ft) and winds above 30 mph.

With its engine out of service, the Guana reported it was unable to maneuver and later the captain mentioned they have been unable to make repairs. At 1:52 p.m. he notified the emergency providers of their intent to evacuate half or all the crew from the ship. The crew mentioned they didn’t really feel secure onboard given the climate situations.

After being evacuated, the Guana is underneath tow to France (Prefet Maritime)

The Spanish hospital ship Esperanza del Mar (4,900 GT) was within the space and responded. With the help of a helicopter from the French Navy, they have been in a position to airlift six crewmembers to the hospital ship. The remaining 12 crewmembers have been flown to the French Navy’s air base in Lanveoc-Poulmic.

The French Atlantic Maritime Prefect determined to intervene sending the rescue tug Abeille Bourbon whereas its Falcon 50 airplane noticed the state of affairs. As of this morning, the tug was profitable in attaching a towline and is presently shifting at roughly 6.5 knots towards Brest. The authorities count on the tow will attain the port in a single day tonight.