Over the course of 12 days, Chittagong Port has been hit by three major fires, resulting in damage to four vessels. The affected ships include two oil tankers and two gas carriers, raising concerns about safety protocols at Bangladesh's key maritime hub.
Despite the port's critical status as a Key Point Installation (KPI) and its role as the nation’s main seaport, there are no specialised fire-fighting tugboats equipped to handle oil or gas fires.
The existing tugboats are only capable of spraying seawater, which may extinguish regular fires but is inadequate for effectively controlling and rapidly putting out oil and gas-related blazes.
This lack of appropriate fire-fighting infrastructure poses a serious threat to the port's safety and security, potentially tarnishing its reputation within the international shipping industry.
The inability to promptly and effectively manage such incidents could lead to Chittagong Port being viewed as a high-risk, unsafe location by global maritime operators.
Two fires in one night
In the early hours of Saturday, October 12, a fire erupted around 1:30 am on the Bangladeshi LPG-carrying vessel small gas carrier (SGC) "B-LPG Sophia," in the Kutubdia Channel near Chattogram. At the same time, another fire broke out on the Tanzanian-flagged mother vessel very large gas carrier (VLGC) "Captain Nikolas," which was carrying LPG to the port.
While "Captain Nikolas" managed to extinguish the fire on board using its own resources, "B-LPG Sophia" failed to bring the flames under control.
Following the fire, Farman Ullah Ansary, the captain of "B-LPG Sophia," reported the situation to port control, the navy and the coast guard via radio. The coast guard's fire-fighting tugboat "BGCS Promotto" arrived at the scene at 3:54 am to begin extinguishing efforts.
Despite being joined by two additional fire-fighting tugboats, the combined efforts of spraying seawater for 40 minutes failed to subdue the blaze. The fire continued to rage with the same intensity until pressure in the gas tanks dropped, allowing some control after 11 hours, though the flames were not fully extinguished.
Earlier fires in port
This incident follows two earlier fires in Chittagong Port’s outer anchorage. On October 5, a state-owned Bangladesh Shipping Corporation oil tanker, "Banglar Shourabh," caught fire after an explosion, and on September 30, another oil tanker, "MT Banglar Jyoti," also suffered an explosion at Dolphin Jetty, resulting in a fire. Three people lost their lives in those incidents.
The inability to quickly control fires on four vessels in 12 days has exposed the severe shortcomings in Chittagong Port's fire-fighting capabilities.
The delays in response raised the risk of major accidents, including potential closure of the port’s channel and significant disruption to fuel imports, which could have led to considerable financial losses for Chittagong Port, customs, and the energy sector.
Expert concerns
Captain Atik U Khan, who has served on various domestic and international commercial vessels, expressed concern over the recent fire incidents at Chittagong Port, emphasising a significant gap in emergency preparedness. "It is troubling that, despite three accidents within 12 days, neither Chittagong Port, the Coast Guard, nor the Navy possesses suitable fire-fighting tugboats for oil and gas fires," he said.
Atik U Khan warned that these fires, coupled with the lack of appropriate response capabilities, are casting serious doubts on the port’s safety and reliability within the global shipping industry. "This vulnerability could affect not only the port’s reputation but also have direct consequences for our energy sector and the port's revenue collection," he added.
LPG fires hard to extinguish
Captain Atik U Khan explained that despite continuous efforts to douse the flames with water, the fire in the oil tankers remained uncontrolled and continued to burn at the same intensity. "The reason is that 'B-LPG Sophia' is a gas carrier, and LPG fires cannot be extinguished with water," he said. "The fire will only subside once the gas is fully depleted."
He also warned of the potential for further disaster, noting that if the pressure in the gas tanks drops, the flames could spread inside the tanks, leading to a larger explosion. "There remains a significant risk of a more severe explosion and greater damage," he added, highlighting the ongoing danger posed by such incidents.
Port admits fire-fighting gaps
When asked about the fire-fighting capabilities at Chittagong Port, Chittagong Port Secretary Mohd Omar Faruk told The Business Post, "Extinguishing fires is not directly the responsibility of the port. However, as a Key Point Installation (KPI), we should have the capability to fight fires."
Faruk mentioned that the port has a fire-fighting unit and possibly a foam tender, but admitted, "I do not think it is equipped to extinguish fires at sea."
"Nevertheless, I would review the available equipment for fire control and provide further details," he added.
