Fire hits cargo ship in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - A fire broke out at a foreign cargo ship berthed at the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) yesterday morning.

The fire reportedly started in the cargo hold of the m/v Cape Moreton, which contained sodium hydroxide, also known as lye or caustic soda, which is used in the manufacture of paper, textiles, soaps and detergents and as a drain cleaner.

Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) personnel, carrying firefighting equipment, boarded the vessel and assisted the crew in dousing the fire, which started at around 9 a.m.

The fire reached the fourth of a five-level alert at past 11 a.m. It was put out just before 6 p.m., the BFP said.

The Philippine Coast Guard sent out ships and tugboats to help put out the fire on the Cape Moreton, a 27,786-gross ton vessel owned by Cape Moreton Shipping Company Ltd. It is operated by Hanse Bereederung GmbH, a firm based in Hamburg, Germany, PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said.

The cargo ship arrived in the country on Sept. 11.

Authorities are investigating the fire.