It was a "risky" and "daring" mission, according to Commander Silva Luís
Photo: Marinha/AMN
The Navy announced this Thursday, March 23, that it has made a technical inspection of the tanker Greta K, which caught fire off the port on Tuesday, March 21, allowing the tow of the vessel to the port of Leixões to begin in the afternoon.
"Military personnel from Fragata Corte-Real, of the Portuguese Navy, went on board the tanker 'Greta K' to perform a difficult technical inspection, due to the condition of the ship, the still intense smoke and the high temperatures that were being felt inside the ship," a statement issued this Thursday on the navy's website reads.
According to the text, "the sailors went through the compartments, previously identified, where there could be fires, giving the fire as presumably extinguished and thus allowing to assess the safety of the ship.
The Navy spokesman, Commander Silva Luís, told Lusa on Thursday that "it was thanks to this Navy team, specifically the frigate Corte-Real, that it was possible to make a reliable assessment of the condition of the ship, allowing it to be towed to the port" of Leixões.
It was a "risky mission" and "bold", according to the same spokesman.
The statement issued Thursday by the Navy also states that the "Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, has already sent a tactical Bravo Zulo [praise signal] to the entire garrison of the NRP Corte-Real, addressing congratulations for the success of the mission.
Gouveia e Melo expressed "pride in the courage and determination shown, in having gone the 'extra mile', which always characterizes sailors," according to the text.
The tow operation to the port of Leixões of the ship Greta K was interrupted this Thursday about five kilometers from the destination due to the force of the sea, said the captain of the captaincy.
According to Silva Rocha, who was speaking at a press conference in Matosinhos, due to the growth of sea agitation during the afternoon "conditions are not met so that the ship could enter safely.
Without a propulsion engine and therefore needing to be towed, the ship began the operation to enter the port of Leixões in the afternoon, but as announced by the head of the captaincy of Douro and Leixões, the sea conditions would worsen in mid-afternoon.
The situation will be "reassessed at first light in the morning, around 06:00 and in principle the sea and the sea agitation will decrease during the night and I think there will be conditions for an entry [into the port of Leixões] between 07:00 and 08:00.
According to the Portuguese Navy, the alert for the fire on the tanker Greta K, flying the Maltese flag, which was sailing about a mile and a half off the coast, about three kilometers, near the Praia dos Ingleses, in Foz do Douro, was given around 3:30 pm on Tuesday to the Navy's "Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) of Lisbon.
The ship had 19 crew members on board, all Filipino nationals, with 16 having been removed in recent days. The vessel was carrying "diesel and jet fuel".
コメント