FIRE & EXPLOSION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 14, 17 July 1939, Page 9

FIRE & EXPLOSION

THE LINER NARKUNDA

5 DEAD, 26 INJURED

SUDDEN FLASH OF FLAME

(By Telegraph-—Press Association—Copyright.)

(Received July 17, 9 a.m.) COLOMBO, July 16,

Five members of tlie crew of the P. and O. liner Narkunda were killed and 26 injured in an explosion which followed a fire in the number 6 hold, containing a cargo of cork. None of the 150 passengers was injured.

The fire was discovered at 4.45 a.m., when the Narkunda was outside the harbour. The ship sent a wireless message to the shore, requesting tugs and fire-fighters to stand by. The crew were mustered in fire kit and fought the flames for hours.

A fire-float went alongside immediately and pumped water into the D deck and hold and flooded the mailroom, and the explosion occurred 16 minutes later, while water was still being pumped in. Later the fire was extinguished.

Prior to the explosion the chief offi- j cer sent several members of the crewi to clear away passengers, as the mail-] room over the hold was on fire. Sud-1 denly an explosion took place, a flash; of flame extei ding half-way the height j of the mast, blowing out of the hold j several members of the crew who were) working there. j I The explosion was terrific. Two members of the crew were hurled 35 feet across the deck and one was picked up dead, the other was unrecognisable and later succumbed. "LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE." Several Lascars and a passenger who were standing ten yards from the hold were thrown some distance and were dazed with shock. Passengers in the tourist class were thrown from their bunks by the force of the explosion, and the tourist class -was evacuated. A passenger, describing the explosion, stated that it was like an earthquake shock, and shook the whole vessel. The mail room above the hold was. flooded to prevent fire. Three hundred mailbags were damaged. The victims of the explosion were Quartermasters J. Nicholson and J. Sparks, R. Searle, yeoman of mails, an unnamed Lascar, and a fifth man, who died in hospital. Of those injured, five were members of the European crew. They were C. W. Bloxham, C. S. Farow, C. Perry, S. V. Martin, and L. Hall, a bell boy. The majority of those injured were Goanese stewards and Lascars, who are suffering mainly from severe burns. At an inquest which was held on board a verdict of accidental death was returned. The second officer, Mr. J. N. Sinclair, stated that when he came on deck there was an explosion. "A BOMB BURST." Quartermaster Downes, descx-ibing the explosion, said that he was working in the mail room when a "bomb burst." The bodies were terribly mangled, in some cases limbs being missing. Some of the witnesses seemed dazed with shock and were unable to speak coherently. The cause of the explosion was not mentioned. The cause of the fire is believed to have been spontaneous combustion, but has not yet been definitely ascertained. Many of the injured have been admitted to hospital, and are not expected to live.. The departure of the ship is likely to be considerably delayed.