A fire erupted in the engine room of a cargo vessel that was docked at the Wakenaam stelling yesterday morning.
A press release from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) stated that around 11 am, the vessel, MV Bell, caught fire while maintenance work was being carried out on it.
The vessel is report to be owned by businessman Ferouz Amin and is registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
While there were no casualties or reported injuries, the vessel was said to be severely damaged.
Fire Chief Marlon Gentle confirmed that the fire took place on the vessel yesterday and explained that preliminary investigations indicated that the workers were welding prior to the fire.
While firefighters from the Guyana Fire Service had been dispatched to respond, they were not engaged in any firefighting since the fire was extinguished by the workers before they arrived.
According to the MARAD statement, an application was made for the vessel to be registered in Guyana. It has since launched an investigation.
The Guyana Fire Service is also investigating.
