ATHENS: A small general cargo vessel burst into flames around 10 nm off the port of Aberdeen, Scotland, forcing the vessel to return to the harbour, where a fire crew was waiting last night.
The singledecker Celtica Hav (2,300 dwt, built 1984; pictured) had completed loading its cargo of malted barley at Aberdeen and was underway when smoke was spotted coming from the hold, owner Hav Shipping told Splash today.
The Scottish coastguard was notified and the vessel returned to Aberdeen with its hatch covers sealed. Firefighting teams were waiting when the ship arrived into port at 0130 today, and the fire was dealt with overnight.
