A tanker carrying sulphuric acid suffered an onboard explosion and a subsequent fire off the coast of Norway on Tuesday, July 28.
The incident on the Utkilen-owned Bergstraum occurred in the early afternoon (local time) of Tuesday while the ship was just south of the entrance to the Oslofjord.
Vessels from the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue, the Norwegian Coast Guard, and partner agencies including those from Sweden deployed to the area to render assistance. Firefighters were brought to the scene via boat and helicopter.
The tanker's crew were reportedly able to bring the fire under control, though the embarked lifeboat was nonetheless prepared as a precaution.
Local emergency response officials said that the blaze was eventually extinguished and that none of the ship's 15-strong crew suffered injuries.
The response has since shifted to cooling operations following reports of smoke development in some of the onboard spaces. An investigation into the incident is already underway.
Utkilen CEO Siri-Anne Mjatvedt told local media that the explosion on Bergstraum occurred in an empty tank and that the ship's main cargo was unaffected.
