MV Siupeli Koula burns at wharf [1]
Monday, June 22, 2009 - 17:26. Updated on Sunday, June 1, 2014 - 14:36.
Nuku'alofa's Fire Service saved the lower deck of the burning MV Siupeli Koula ferry and its full engine of fuel, after the ferry caught on fire on Saturday night, June 20, at Tu'imatamoana Wharf.
Fire Officer Sinamoni Kauvaka said today, the 30-year-old passenger ferry owned by the Church of Tonga was reported on fire around 11:20pm on Saturday night. It is thought the fire started from a gas stove.
He said it was believed that the watchmen of the boat was cooking a pot of food on the stove but he fell asleep and did not wake until he heard shouts from people at the Billfish Bar parking lot that the ferry was on fire.
Sinamoni said the watchmen was not hurt and was able to get off the boat unharmed.
"The difficult part was when we arrived at the scene the fire had already engulfed the upper boat deck and it had drifted away from the slip where it was anchored at the wharf because the fire had burnt the ropes."
He said luckily one of their men went out on a small boat and managed to tie the boat to the wharf and they were able to put out the fire before reaching its lower deck, which consisted of a full engine of fuel, which could have exploded and caused more damage.
The damage to the 47-m ferry is estimated to be over $100,000 pa'anga.