Accident in US ship recycling yard: Three hurt in ship fire at port

Emergency crews battled a blaze at a Port of Brownsville ship recycling center Tuesday afternoon that left three people injured, officials said.

A fire broke out on a ship around 3:45 p.m. at the recycling center on Boxcar Road, Deputy Fire Chief David Hinojosa said.

Port of Brownsville spokesman Manuel Ortiz said the area where the ship caught fire is used as a salvage yard for boats.

Workers had been dismantling the ship to recycle the parts when flames broke out, Hinojosa said. 3 workers sustained burns; 2 were taken to a local hospital. He said the injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

“They were walking and conscious,” Hinojosa said.

The fire was extinguished quickly after fire crews responded, but firefighters had to extract the workers from the boat, Hinojosa said. They had been working on the lower level, and the fire broke out above them.

Hinojosa said investigators believe it was an accidental fire that started in insulation.

Ortiz said the cause of the fire is under investigation, and the extent of the damage hasn’t been determined.

Source: The Brownsville Herald. By MADELINE BUCKLEY 1 November 2011

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