AMSTERDAM BRIDGE – A Burning Bridge at JNPT

On 09th September afternoon container vessel Amsterdam Bridge caught fire at Mumbai Harbour. Around 1700 hours with fire on board and thick smoke billowing out she moved out to anchorage most likely Master and officers doing a blind navigation.

It was so fortunate in this type of dangerous situation with much smoke making visibility of her navigators to near zero she didn’t cause collision with another vessel(s). At this time wind was SSW 16 Kts. Other vessels in the vicinity could hear Amsterdam Bridge’s Master desperately trying to get assistance from Mumbai VTS and JNPT ( Jawahar Lal Nehru Port Trust).

After almost 0ne and a half hour a Coast guard vessel arrived on scene followed by SCI Pawan a fire fighting tug.  Even at mid night the fire was raging and fire fighting vessels in action doing FF and boundary cooling. Seat of fire is believed to be in one of the cargo holds.

It would have been a good practice if VTS is keeping a track of all fire fighting tugs in and near harbour to call them without any delay when there is a need.

From the VHF distress traffic one could make out shore side was not having any information of what dangerous goods are there on Amsterdam Bridge or the stowage locations.

News prints state Coast Guard vessels Subhadra Kumari Chouhan and Samudra Prahari is engaged in fire fighting and pollution control.

Watch video of Amsterdam Bridge steam out with thick smoke

[youtube=http://youtu.be/3Dup1hHExdQ]

By shashi kallada

25 years in Merchant Shipping, Last 13 years working on Packaged Dangerous Goods Sailor, Ex Manager Global Dangerous Goods Maersk Line * Freelance Photographer *Amateur Cyclist

6 thoughts on “AMSTERDAM BRIDGE – A Burning Bridge at JNPT”
  1. What is the current situation of the vessel Amsterdam Bridge which sailed from Nhava Sheva on 9th September’12

      1. thanks , please advise how many containers are damaged and what is the approx time of vehicle leaving for colombo

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