World News
Report: Carnival Knew About Fuel Line Hazards Before Triumph Fire
Carnival Cruise Lines (Carnival) was aware of fire hazards affecting its generators and fuel lines well before the February 10 fire that disabled the Carnival Triumph, CNN reports.
The ship had only four of its six generators fully operational when it began the voyage, and the diesel generator that ended up catching fire had been experiencing problems for more than a year.
"That ship never should have set sail in February," said Frank Spagnoletti, a lawyer representing passengers on the cruise in a civil lawsuit.
"It was unseaworthy at the commencement of the voyage.
"These documents tell you that the company - and I'm saying to you the corporation back in Miami - had knowledge of the fact that this vessel had a propensity for fires; that there were things that could have been, should have been, and weren't done in order to make sure that fires didn't take place."
Carnival's maintenance reports repeatedly stated that the engine, generator No. 6, was overdue for maintenance, and company documents showed a pattern of fuel line leaks on other ships, including the Costa Allegra, which caught fire in February 2012.
Flexible lines were responsible for nine fuel leak incidents in two years across the company's fleet.
A compliance notice sent to the Triumph in January recommended that spray shields be installed on the flexible fuel hoses.
Mark Jackson, Carnival's vice president of technical operations, said the company instituted a policy of shielding hose lines but did not implement the measure on the part of the hose that caused the February fire, believing that the deck plates would protect it.
Jackson also said the company was in compliance will all rules and regulations, and regulators including the U.S. Coast Guard and Lloyd's insurance had certified the ship as ready to sail.
Since the incident, the company has dedicated $300 million to a fleet-wide safety upgrade.
Investigators determined shortly after the fire that the incident, which left the ship stranded in the Gulf of Mexico for five days, was caused by a leak in a fuel oil return line.
A Coast Guard official said at the time that the ship's crew responded appropriately to the fire.
Key Bunker Prices More
| VLSFO | MGO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $/mt | +/- | $/mt | +/- | |
| Singapore | 504.50 | 2.50 | 620.00 | 3.00 |
| Rotterdam | 456.00 | 1.50 | 621.50 | 2.00 |
| Houston | 476.00 | 7.00 | 624.00 | 1.00 |
| Fujairah | 496.50 | 2.00 | 713.00 | 2.50 |
| Global 20 Ports Average | 526.50 | 0.50 | 712.00 | 0.50 |
| Global 4 Ports Average | 483.00 | 2.00 | 644.50 | 0.50 |
| Global Average Bunker Price | 570.50 | 1.50 | 751.00 | 1.00 |
Popular Now More
-
Apr 23Initial Ship & Bunker analysis shows ships would need to use between 17.6% and 23.3% biofuel in B100 terms to avoid penalty charges in 2028. -
Apr 24Suppliers in South Korea are already shifting to the use of MFMs, and barge fees are likely to rise in the country as a result, a local source tells Ship & Bunker. -
Apr 24FincoEnergies has partially acquired the business operations of bunker supplier Oliehandel Klaas de Boer.