A fire that erupted at East Port Said Port this morning has been brought under control, the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) said.

The fire erupted after a COSCO vessel, hoisting the Chinese flag, hit a huge winch as it was leaving the port at the container platform, SCZONE said in a statement.

The vessel has arrived from Jeddah and was sailing to Greece.

Civil defense units, two army units and a navy unit were sent to the scene to extinguish the flames and prevent them from spreading, SCZONE spokesman Nasser Fouad said.

The accident happened when the huge cargo winch, after being hit by the vessel, fell over a small one, causing the small winch’s diesel tank to explode. A container loaded with cooking oil and 36 other containers caught fire, Fouad said.

Five persons, including three port workers, suffered from smoke inhalation and a firefighter was slightly injured, he said.

The vessel was seized until prosecution investigations over the incident are over, he said.

Meanwhile, SCZONE sources told MENA over the phone that it was too soon to estimate the losses. 

Source : MENA