US Coast Guard coordinates response to ship fire 860 miles northeast of Bermuda

The U.S. Coast Guard says it is coordinating response efforts to ensure the safety of the crew of a container ship approximately 860 miles northeast of Bermuda, Friday.

Coast Guard watchstanders with the First District Command Center in Boston received a report that there was a fire aboard the container ship Yantian Express, Thursday morning. They requested assistance through the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) for vessels that may be in the area and notified their counterparts in the Fifth District Command Center in Portsmouth who assumed responsibility for the case.

The AMVER vessel Happy Ranger’s crew were 20 miles from the position and diverted their course to provide assistance.

The Coast Guard is currently monitoring the situation. The Happy Ranger’s crew remains nearby to provide assistance. A commercial tugboat is also en route.

“Thanks to the participation of mariners in the AMVER system, we were able to coordinate a quick response,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Kelly Badal, operations unit watchstander at the Fifth District command center. “This system is crucial to coordinating nearby vessels to provide assistance when an emergency arises far from Coast Guard assets.”

For information on the AMVER program, visit http://www.amver.com.

No injuries or pollution have been reported.