In January 2016, the passenger vessel PeeJay V caught fire and sank. The reason was due to an ineffective main firefighting system and crew who did not fully understand how it should work. New Zealand’s TAIC has published its report on the incident highlighting that for a CO2 firefighting system to be useful, the space must be airtight and everyone involved should be fully trained and know how the system works.
The incident
On 18 January 2016, the tourist boat was on an all-day excursion from Whakatane to White Island with 53 passengers and seven crew on board. It was near the end of the journey, approaching Whakatane Harbour entrance when fire broke out in the engine room. The crew released the fixed CO2 fire extinguisher into the engine room, which suppressed the fire for a short time. However, Continue reading “Poor firefighting system and lack of crew training lead to PeeJay V sinking”