28 Crew Evacuated from Burning Ro-Ro Vessel in English Channel

A major international rescue operation successfully evacuated 28 crew members from the roll-on/roll-off container vessel (Con-Ro) Grande Brasile after a fire broke out aboard on Tuesday, February 18.

The vessel, which was approximately 15 miles off the Ramsgate coast, initially issued a Mayday call at around 9:35 a.m. on Tuesday morning after discovering a fire on one of the decks. On board fire-suppression measures initially brought the situation under control. However, a second report of a fire was made at about 4:25 p.m., prompting a renewed response effort that evening.

By 10 p.m., the crew evacuated onto the Grande Brasile’s lifeboat about 12 nautical miles off Ramsgate, where they were picked up by a tug assisting with the operation. A HM Coastguard spokesperson confirmed that a coordinated response included a HM Coastguard helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft, a Belgian Coast Guard helicopter, and RNLI all-weather lifeboats from Dover and Ramsgate.

“The cre…