Zanzibar Maritime Authority (ZMA) has frozen all MV Royal routes pending investigation and inspection by the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority experts.
Speaking to this paper shortly after initial inspection of the vessel yesterday in the Isles, ZMA Executive Director Abdi Omar Maalim said the bar follows a fire outbreak in MV Royal’s engine room only a few miles from Mkoani Port in South Pemba last week Friday.
Despite the fire being put out promptly, the vessels engines were badly damaged. Fortunately, there were no casualties in the incident and all 367 passengers disembarked safe and sound.
The ZMA Executive Director said the investigation report indicates the cause of the fire was a broken fuel pipe and subsequent fuel overflow into the engine room.
“We cannot rush into concluding the fuel pipe was defunct or fuel pressure was off... officers from Sumatra are to conduct a thorough inspection and then we will know for sure,” he said.
After the initial inspection the boat was allowed to sail through from Pemba to Unguja for maintenance and other inspections.
Msilimiwa Iddi Juma, the Captain who sailed passenger after the inspection, is also expected to give his report but the decision as to whether the boat will continue to ferry passengers remains in the hands of Sumatra.
The bar of MV Royal will not have great impact on commuters given the fact that the government had recently bought a new ship with capacity to ferry 1200 passengers.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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