Mon, Jul 11, 2005 page3

• Fire in docked navy frigate causes damage

  ACCIDENT A fire in a Cheng Kung Class frigate on Saturday night was far enough from the ship's weapons and oil tank that damage was not significant, the navy said

  • By Rich Chang / STAFF REPORTER
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  A fire on a Cheng Kung Class frigate docked at Kaohsiung naval base burned for more than 2.5 hours on Saturday evening, but caused limited damage to the ship.

  "The serial number 1110 Cheng Kung Class frigate caught fire in a cabin in the warship's stern where some sailors' clothes and covers were stored. The location of the fire was some distance from the oil tank and main weapons on the warship, so the fire did not cause significant damage or danger," Wu Gi-fung (吳季方), a Rear Admiral from Navy Fleet Command said yesterday.

  "No one was hurt in the accident," Wu said.

  "The warship is equipped with weapons such as Hsiung Feng II missiles and Standard I missiles, but these incurred no damage in the accident and are able to function," Wu said.

  On Saturday, the navy said it took four ships one hour to keep the fire under control, according to the Central News Agency.

  Wu said that on Friday afternoon the frigate completed a patrol mission in the Taiwan Strait and returned to Kaohsiung naval base. At 6:35pm on Saturday, sailors discovered that the stern of the warship was filled with smoke. At 7pm, sailors identified a cabin used to store sailors' clothes and covers as the source of the smoke.

  Wu said firefighters would have been able to open the door of the cabin, but were concerned that if they did so, more oxygen would enter the cabin and increase the size of the fire.

  Firefighters also worried that an explosion might occur if more oxygen entered the cabin, Wu said.

  Wu said the firefighters decided to monitor the fire from outside the cabin. An hour later, at about 8pm, the blaze appeared to getting smaller and at that point firefighters broke down the door, entered the cabin. They gained control of the fire at 9pm.

  According to Wu, navy investigators initially identified some welding work done by some sailors outside the cabin on Saturday afternoon as the cause of the blaze. Because the sailors had not set up protective insulation, the heat from the welding likely sparked a fire in the cabin.

  Wu said the sailors were probably responsible for the accident, but that an investigation into the cause was continuing.

  Wu said the warship would be removed from service until it was completely repaired.

  Wu said the frigate, constructed by Chinese Marine Corp, was put into service last March. The navy currently has eight 4200-tonne Cheng Kung Class frigates.

  The frigates are equipped with Hsiung Feng II missiles, Standard I missiles and MK-32 torpedoes, Wu said.
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