Ship that caught fire at sea found to be safe enough to enter Riga port

RIGA - The freighter Escape that caught fire in the Baltic Sea this week, has been found to be safe enough to enter the port of Riga, Liva Veita, a spokeswoman for the Latvian Naval Forces, informed LETA. 

Based on experts' findings, the harbormaster of the Riga port has given permission for the ship's entry into the port, and after the paperwork is completed, the vessel will be moored at one of the docks of the Riga port.

As reported, the Escape, a freighter carrying a hazardous cargo, caught fire in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday night. The crew abandoned the ship, and in the morning, it was drifting off the western coast of the Gulf of Riga.

Veita told LETA that the crew left the ship in a life boat. All 15 crew members were later taken aboard the Kairit ship.

The Dutch-flagged freighter Escape is carrying hazardous materials in containers - polymers and paints. There is no information to suggest that the containers, too, were affected by the fire.

This ship was on its way from the Klaipeda port in Lithuania to Riga when the fire broke out. 

The accident will be investigated by a Dutch transport safety authority.