Thirteen people were on aboard and they have been rescued.
On Friday morning, a fire started on the 40-metre yacht Kanga, anchored between the islets of Olip and Mali Vratnik on the southeastern side of Pelješac peninsula. All thirteen people aboard have been successfully evacuated from the vessel and firefighters are trying to put out the fire, announced the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure on September 7, 2018.
Captain of the Dubrovnik Port Authority Mato Kekez confirmed that the Port Authority vessel "Danče" took five members of the Public Fire Department of the Dubrovačko Primorje municipality to the site of the fire. “In case there are any spills into the sea, we have also ordered the CIAN eco-vessel to attend the scene,” Kekez said.
Nine passengers and four crew members left the yacht in a tender and sailed to the shore, where they were received by the competent services. According to the yacht captain, there are about 40 tons of diesel remaining in the ship's tanks, which is the reason why the sea surface has been secured in case of pollution and possible leakage of the fuel.
The extensive rescue and firefighting operation on the sea was launched on Friday morning at 8.22 am, after a call by the captain of Kanga, which sails under the Maltese flag.
“Competent services are monitoring the scene of the maritime accident, which has been timely secured for the purpose of extinguishing the fire and preventing possible pollution of the sea and the marine environment. At present, all activities are aimed at extinguishing the fire and attempting to prevent the sinking of the motor yacht due to fire damage. The causes of the maritime accident will be identified as part of an investigation that will be carried out by the Dubrovnik Port Authority,” announced the Ministry.
All activities are coordinated by the National Centre for Harmonization of Search and Rescue Operations at Sea (MRCC Rijeka), in cooperation with the Dubrovnik Port Authority. Through the system of coastal radio stations, a notification about the event has been sent to all participants in maritime traffic in the area of the maritime accident. The Dubrovnik Maritime Police has also been informed.
