Ship fire in Napier Harbor under control after toxic smoke and explosions forced evacuations

A major fire aboard a ship in the port of Napier forced the evacuation of the crew conducting their 14-day Covid-19 isolation period.

As explosions erupted and acrid smoke billowed across the city, locals were also forced to evacuate and take refuge inside for their own health.

Emergency services were called to the fire aboard the Kota Bahagia ship at 10.45 am on Friday.

A large cloud of black smoke and pockets of flames could be seen coming from the ship, and those nearby heard an “unreal” number of explosions.

The firefighters who boarded the ship announced at 1:30 p.m. that the fire was under control.

A spokeswoman for the port of Napier said the crew aboard the ship, which was conducting its mandatory 14-day Covid-19 isolation, were among those evacuated from the area.

They had been moved to another separate facility at the port, he said.

The engineer and the ship’s captain remained on board to help the firefighters douse the flames.

Dr. Nick Jones, a health medical officer for the Hawke’s Bay District Board of Health, said the entire crew would be tested for Covid-19 on Friday afternoon as a precaution.

Jones said the risk of any of the crew members having Covid-19 was low as the ship had been at sea for 17 days after leaving China.

A total of 19 fire trucks attended the fire, including crews from Palmerston North, while an ambulance remained on hold.

Firefighters and ship engineers fought the fire on board the ship, while other crews cooled the ship’s side with water.

A Napier Port spokeswoman said everyone was “safe and accounted for.”

Ironically, the port’s annual shareholders meeting was taking place at the Napier War Memorial Center at the time the fire broke out.

The Kota Bahagia, a 161-meter-long general freighter built in Singapore in 2011, docked at the port at 3 am on Thursday.

A witness at the scene said the ship had several wind turbines on board.

Local resident Bryan Edwards said he was informed Friday afternoon that his newly purchased freeze dryer was part of the cargo on the ship.

“They tell us that our cargo material is right below where the fire is. To be honest, it is disappointing,” he said.

Trucker Stuart Markham, who was in a queue at the port’s container terminal, said he and six other trucks heard a series of “internal explosions” before being evacuated.

“The number of explosions was incredible,” he said.

Markham said smoke rose under a crane on the ship, before another explosion was felt around 12 p.m.

A witness at the scene said that people at the Bluff Hill lookout, which offers a panoramic view of the harbor, initially packed the observation deck to watch before losing weight when they started coughing.

“The smoke on Hornesy Rd makes it hard to breathe. Our faces are starting to burn.”

Police wearing masks urged the public to stay away from the lookout post, telling those there that the fumes could be toxic. Several highways were closed, including Breakwater and Battery Rds.

Dr. Jones encouraged nearby residents to keep windows and doors closed to prevent smoke from entering.

He said symptoms, which include irritated eyes, nose, throat and airways, as well as a sore throat, cough and shortness of breath, often go away shortly after exposure.

“People who have shortness of breath, a prolonged cough or chest tightness should call their GP or Healthline,” he added.

Port operations had been halted for the day, but limited bulk cargo operations were expected to resume at 3 p.m., when the curbs on the roads that currently block traffic to the port were also expected to be lifted.

The fire also caused the cancellation of a KiwiRail service from Palmerston North to Napier.

Container operations, including container receiving and delivery, will be closed at the port for the remainder of Friday and will reopen at 7 a.m. on Saturday.

Thames I and II tanks continue to operate according to normal hours of operation.