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Irregularities reported in KMTC Hongkong fire |

Insurance Marine News

A week after a fire broke out on cargo ship KMTC Hongkong (IMO 9157753) at Laem Chabang Port,
Thailand, it has been reported that not all cargo was correctly declared. It was further claimed by
Deputy Transport Minister Pailin Chuchottaworn that some of the dangerous cargo was deliberately
concealed, including hazardous chemicals in 13 containers.

He added that the owner of the vessel would be held responsible for criminal offences of causing injury
and bodily harm to others and for civil offences of damage to property.

The captain of the vessel remained under questioning. Officials have yet to find out who sent the
hazardous cargo, who was to receive it or why a significant amount of chemicals were being sent from
China to Thailand.

There were 776 containers from China, of which 460 were to be unloaded at Laem Chabang Port. The
remainder were destined for Samut Prakan province and Ho Chi Minh City.

Of the remaining containers, 13 contained some 325 tonnes of bleaching chemicals destined for the
Unithai port in Samut Prakan.

All 228 seriously affected people had now been discharged from hospitals, while 1,225 others reported
minor symptoms and damage to their properties. About 3,500 tonnes of contaminated water remained
inside the vessel. The damage to the Terminal A2 where the vessel docked was estimated at THB100m
($3.17m) plus economic damage as some vessels and many cargo ships could not use the terminal as
scheduled.

Local environmentalists have criticized the level of the fine imposed on South Korean owner KMTC,
The Nation reports. The Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) initially fined KMTC THB50,000 ($1,570),
although it did emphasize that it was looking to file further damages with the owner.

Somnuck Jongmeewasin of EEC Watch said that the fine for bringing undeclared chemicals into the
kingdom ought to be far larger. Jongmeewasin also called for a more thorough investigation into the
incident.

He said that “there is already an official report from Leam Chabang Hospital that tests of the saline
solution used to wash chemical off patients exposed to the chemical fallout from the Saturday’s fire,
showed the presence of a strongly alkaline chemical,” adding that “this goes against what the officials
had disclosed earlier – that the chemicals were acidic. So, there must be more chemicals in this cargo,
and the authorities should conduct a full investigation”.

More than 1,000 people have filed complaints with the Laem Chabang municipality after the incident,
either for injuries sustained or for damage to property.

1998-built, South Korea-flagged, 16,731 gt KMTC Hongkong is owned and managed by Korea Marine
Transport Co Ltd of Seoul, South Korea. ISM manager is KMTC Ship Management Co of Busan, South
Korea. It is entered with Korea P&I on behalf of Korea Marine Transport Co Ltd.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1687168/laem-chabang-ship-fire-raises-
more-questions

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