Newsroom
A fire broke out late Monday night aboard a commercial vessel docked at Larnaca Port, leading to the hospitalization of the ship’s engineer for smoke inhalation.
According to Fire Service spokesperson Andreas Kettis, the alarm was raised at 22:52 on August 27. Three fire engines from Larnaca stations were dispatched to tackle the blaze, which erupted in the ship’s hold, an area loaded with bulk soybeans.
Initial reports indicate that the fire began in a crawler excavator being used inside the hold for cargo handling. The ship’s engineer reportedly inhaled smoke while attempting to respond to the incident and was moved to open air for treatment by paramedics before being taken to Larnaca General Hospital.
The vessel’s safety team initially contained the flames using dry powder extinguishers and water hoses. Working alongside port officials and the crew, responders later lifted the damaged excavator from the hold with the ship’s crane and inspected the remaining cargo to ensure the fire had not spread.
Additional firefighters from the wider Larnaca district were called in to assist with the operation. Preliminary assessments suggest that a mechanical or electrical malfunction in the excavator likely triggered the blaze.
Authorities from the Department of Labour Inspection and the Police are expected to carry out a detailed investigation into the incident and the vessel’s working conditions later today.
