Berbera port where MV Al-iman caught fireBy: Yusuf M Hasan

BERBERA (Somalilandsun) – The fire that engulfed the MV Al-Iimaan ship at the port of Berbera has been put off.

The MV Al-Iimaan ship which is docked at the Berbera port caught fire late Monday afternoon after grass stacked in the bowels of the ship started emitting dark clouds of smoke. After the fire was successfully put off by port workers and Indodeero company fire department, investigations revealed that a careless seaman aboard the ship started the fire.

Ships used to haul livestock usually carry a large quantity of grass that is used as fodder for the livestock during the 3-7 days that they are en-route to their destination in any one of the Arabian countries, thus the availability of the grass that caught fire in the bowels of the MV Al-Iimaan.

Report from port and Sahil regional authorities indicated that the big fire that ensued from the burning MV Al-Iimaan, destroyed some port facilities and also affected a number of other ships that were moored near the burning ship.

The 200 tons shipper MV Al-Iimaan is at the Berbera port on hire to Saudi livestock trader Mr. Al-Jabir who was planning to ship 3000 goats to Saudi Arabia. According to Al-Jabir sources, the goats are now to be hauled by another ship that the Saudi livestock exporter is in the process of hiring.

Other reports indicate that MV Sea Star that left Berbera port four days ago carrying thousands of sheep, goats and cows for the Yemeni livestock market has been towed back to the main Somaliland port after it spend the four days stranded ninety kilometres from the port.

Despite the firefighting and towing of the stranded ship as well as subsequent damage caused to some port facilities and moored ships normal activities at the main Somaliland port are continue as usual.