The TSB has completed this investigation. The report was published on 29 July 2020.
Engine room fire
Container vessel MOL Prestige
146 nautical miles SSW of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia
Container vessel MOL Prestige
146 nautical miles SSW of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia
The occurrence
On 31 January 2018, a fire broke out in the engine room of the container vessel MOL Prestige while the vessel was at sea 146 nautical miles south-southwest of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia (BC). There were 22 crew and 1 supernumerary on board at the time. The fire was eventually extinguished. Five of the crew members were seriously injured. A Royal Canadian Air Force helicopter evacuated 2 of the crew members to hospital in the Village of Queen Charlotte, BC. The Canadian Coast Guard ship Sir Wilfrid Laurier assisted until a salvage tug arrived and towed the disabled vessel to Seattle, Washington, United States.
Media materials
News release
Maintenance-related issues led to January 2018 engine room fire on board a container vessel in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia
Read the news release
Deployment notice
TSB deploys a team to Seattle, Washington, following an engine room fire on the container vessel MOL PRESTIGE
Richmond, British Columbia, 11 February 2018 — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is deploying a team of investigators to Seattle Washington, following a fire in the engine room of the container vessel MOL PRESTIGE that occurred on 31 January 2018. The vessel is registered in Singapore and the fire occurred in Canadian waters. The TSB will gather information and assess the occurrence.
Investigation information
M18P0014
Engine room fire
Container vessel MOL Prestige
146 nautical miles SSW of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia
Investigator-in-charge
Mohan Raman has been a senior investigator at the Transportation Safety Board of Canada since 2011.
Before joining the TSB, Mr. Raman was a ship safety inspector for Transport Canada in British Columbia, performing onboard inspections.
Mr. Raman has 28 years’ sailing experience in the engineering discipline on board a variety of vessels, culminating in his appointment as Senior Chief Engineer and Project Manager with BC Ferries. Mr. Raman is a Certified First Class (Motor) engineer and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bombay University, India.
Photos
Download high-resolution photos from the TSB Flickr page.
Class of investigation
This is a class 2 investigation. These investigations are complex and involve several safety issues requiring in-depth analysis. Class 2 investigations, which frequently result in recommendations, are generally completed within 600 days. For more information, see the Policy on Occurrence Classification.
TSB investigation process
There are 3 phases to a TSB investigation
- Field phase: a team of investigators examines the occurrence site and wreckage, interviews witnesses and collects pertinent information.
- Examination and analysis phase: the TSB reviews pertinent records, tests components of the wreckage in the lab, determines the sequence of events and identifies safety deficiencies. When safety deficiencies are suspected or confirmed, the TSB advises the appropriate authority without waiting until publication of the final report.
- Report phase: a confidential draft report is approved by the Board and sent to persons and corporations who are directly concerned by the report. They then have the opportunity to dispute or correct information they believe to be incorrect. The Board considers all representations before approving the final report, which is subsequently released to the public.
For more information, see our Investigation process page.
The TSB is an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.