MV Jyoti fire: Report reveals accumulation of flammable gas
A Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) investigation committee has stated that a severe explosion may have occurred due to the accumulation of flammable gas in the Fore Peak Store located at the front of the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation's ship, MT Bangla Jyoti, at Chattogram port.
The seven-member committee presented its report yesterday (30 September), the same day the accident occurred, which killed three individuals.
The Fore Peak Store, situated at the front of the ship, is a storage area for ropes, anchors, and spare parts. It was in this area that the explosion, fire, and tragic loss of three lives took place. The BPC report indicated that the front of the vessel sustained significant damage. The investigation report was submitted to the BPC chairman, a copy of which was obtained by TBS.
The seven-member investigation committee, formed by the BPC, presented their findings on the same day of the accident, 30 September, which resulted in the deaths of Deck Cadet Saurabh Kumar Saha from Jhenaidah, BSC Foreman Nurul Islam from Chattogram, and worker Md Harun from Kishoreganj. The victims were near the Fore Peak Store at the time of the explosion. The accident took place shortly after approximately 800 metric tons of crude oil was transferred from the ship.
According to the report, 10,916.446 metric tons of crude oil remained onboard, but was left unaffected in the fire. Had the fire spread to the cargo tank, the damage could have been catastrophic.
The fire, captured on CCTV footage from the Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL) jetty, erupted at 10:54am. The footage showed a large explosion at the front of the ship, prompting immediate response from various agencies including the Fire Service and Civil Defence, Chittagong Port Authority, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Karnaphuli Tunnel authorities, Bangladesh Air Force, and Bangladesh Navy. The fire was brought under control after about 90 minutes, around 12:30pm.
The committee made four recommendations, including the formation of a technical committee by the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation to determine the exact cause of the accident, assess the damage, and evaluate the safety of the remaining two lighter vessels.
The BSC's lighter vessels, MT Bangla Jyoti and MT Bangla Sourav, are used for crude oil lightering operations due to the risks associated with the immediate use of single point mooring (SPM) with double pipeline systems for crude oil discharge. The report suggested that completing the appointment of an Operation and Maintenance (O&M) contractor as soon as possible would enable the safe discharge of crude oil.
Additionally, the report called for further modernization of the fire-fighting systems at jetties and urged BSC to determine whether MT Bangla Jyoti could continue to be used until the O&M contractor is in place.
Timeline leading up to the accident
The mother vessel, MT Omera Legacy, carrying Marban crude oil, arrived at Kutubdia's outer anchorage on 17 September. Crude oil lightering operations began on 19 September. MT Bangla Jyoti, the fifth lightering vessel, started mooring at DOJ-7 on 30 September at 8:30am. By 9:45am, a registered surveyor from ERL (M/s. Oceantech Limited) confirmed the quantity of crude oil onboard, amounting to 11,716.446 metric tons. Cargo discharge commenced at 10:00am, just before the explosion occurred.
In a press conference on Monday afternoon, BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek stated that the explosion likely occurred due to the buildup of gas while crew members were making rope adjustments on the ship. This was followed by the fire. He stressed that further investigation is required to confirm these findings.
BSC Executive Director (Technology), Eng. Mohammad Yusuf, is leading a seven-member committee tasked with identifying the root cause of the explosion and recommending steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
A second committee, comprising five members, has been formed to address the related matters, including burial arrangements, compensation, and support for the victims' families.
The report states, the Department of Explosives will conduct further inspections to ensure the safety of the vessel, with a focus on clearing the remaining cargo. If the ship is deemed safe, the discharge of the remaining cargo, which is expected to take around 22 hours, will proceed. Once the cargo is offloaded, the ship will be moved for repair and overhaul.
MT Bangla Jyoti and MT Bangla Sourav, both built in 1987, have been in service for 37 years. With no immediate replacements available, the ships have been kept operational through ongoing maintenance.
BPC data shows that crude oil for the Eastern Refinery Limited is imported from Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, and lightered using BSC's vessels, MT Bangla Jyoti and MT Bangla Sourav, under a bilateral Lighterage Agreement.