Venetian firefighters were called to intervene after a fifteen-meter-high crane caught fire in the port area of Porto Marghera at around 9:30 PM local time Wednesday, according to the Department of firefighters, public rescue and civil defense.
The fire quickly engulfed the crane, however, the operator managed to escape unharmed.
The crane was offloading a Panamanian vessel at the time of the accident, according to local media.
Eight teams of firefighters from Venice and Mestre intervened, including the port’s naval units.
It was a race against time to try to put the fire under control before it spreads on the ship carrying highly flammable cargo, according to local media.
The fire was successfully extinguished at 10:45 PM.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, however, it could be related to electricity problems of the crane or the oil overheating in the crane engine, local media said.
There were no injuries and no oil spill on the dock reported.
World Maritime News Staff