According to the municipal People’s Committee, the fire broke out at 4:30 PM on March 10 onboard the Hai Ha 18 oil tanker which was carrying 900 cubic meters of A92 petrol.
The incident occurred while the tanker was pumping petrol ashore. A fuel pump malfunctioned and the process was halted so that the ship could be pulled out of the wharf for repairs. An explosion occurred immediately after, leading to the fire.
Following the incident, the Minister of Public Security To Lam, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee and Chairman of the municipal People’s Council Le Van Thanh, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Tung, and Vice Chairmen of the municipal People’s Committee Pham Van Ha and Nguyen Van Thanh, arrived at the scene to direct firefighting efforts.
More than 400 firefighters and 15 fire trucks were mobilized to bring the fire under control.
According to preliminary information, no human losses have been reported, and the tanker has been removed to a safe area.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also sent a dispatch to the National Committee on Incident, Disaster Response and Search and Rescue, the Ministries of Public Security, National Defence, and Transport, and the People’s Committee of Hai Phong, requesting them to take all necessary measures to prevent the blaze from spreading to other areas and ensure the absolute safety of all nearby residents.
