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Investigators opened the hold of a cargo ship in the port of Napier that caught fire six days ago.
New Zealand Fire and Emergency crews opened the warehouse this morning, which has been closed since the fire to allow time for it to cool down.
The Singapore-registered Kota Bahagia, docked at Napier, was carrying general cargo, machinery and components when the fire broke out on December 18.
At its peak, 12 teams worked to control the fire, which sent huge plumes of black smoke through the city.
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John Cowpland / Stuff
Today water was sprayed on parts of the ship as investigators worked to better see the damage.
The Transportation Accident Investigation Commission has opened an investigation into the causes and circumstances of the fire.
Harald Hendel, the commission’s chief accident investigator, had appointed a team of two investigators for the investigation.
John Cowpland / Stuff
FENZ is working with Napier Port, Maritime NZ, the Transportation Accident Investigation Commission and the shipping company to investigate the fire.
“The investigation team has expert knowledge of marine operations, engineering, maintenance and electronic forensics,” said Hendel.
The ship was moved to a different area of the port on Thursday so that firefighters could complete their investigation, which will likely take a while to complete, a FENZ spokesman said. A drone was used to assist the crews.
John Cowpland / Stuff
More damage could be seen on the ship after crews opened their hold today for the first time since the fire.
The crew aboard the ship at the time were completing their 14 days of isolation.
A spokeswoman for the Hawke’s Bay District Board of Health later said that all of the crew members tested negative for Covid-19.
John Cowpland / Stuff
A large team of investigators will now work to determine the cause of the fire.
