Just in: Lagos port officials watch as cargo ship catches fire

DDM News

A fire broke out Friday evening aboard a cargo vessel docked at Apapa Port in Lagos State.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reports that the ship, identified as CHANG MIN (IMO 9622801), was berthed at the ENL Terminal when the incident occurred during unloading operations.

Confirming the incident on Saturday, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the fire started around 5:55 p.m. and affected section two of the ship’s cargo hold.

The cargo ship was reportedly carrying highly combustible materials, including compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks, wooden products, and tyres.

Emergency responders arrived swiftly and activated a coordinated response plan.

The response team worked closely with the ship’s crew to assess the situation and devise a firefighting strategy.

One of the first steps taken was to seal off the affected compartment to cut off oxygen supply and suppress the flames.

A coordinated firefighting effort then followed, focusing on containing the fire and protecting all personnel on site.

Once safe conditions were established, the cargo hold was reopened, allowing fire crews to fully extinguish the blaze.

According to Dr. Oke-Osanyintolu, no casualties were reported.

All seafarers on board were accounted for, and no injuries were sustained.

He confirmed that the fire has been completely extinguished, and recovery operations were concluded.

The cause of the fire, however, remains undetermined and is still under investigation.

“Preliminary investigations conducted by emergency responders at the scene revealed that the fire was observed at the point of unloading,” said Oke-Osanyintolu.

“But the actual cause is yet to be ascertained as of the time of this report.”

Responding agencies included the LASEMA Response Unit, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Fire Unit, and ENL Consortium Ltd.

This incident highlights ongoing concerns about fire safety protocols and risk management when handling hazardous cargo at seaports.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) will continue to monitor developments and report updates as investigations progress.

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