Fumigant sparks callout

An investigation has been launched after firefighters were called to a potentially explosive chemical leak on board a ship docked at Port Taranaki.

Emergency services were called about 2.10am on Wednesday, with two fire engines from the New Plymouth brigade and one from New Plymouth West responding, after crew aboard logging ship the Luenho raised concerns about the smell of fumigant aluminium phosphide.

New Plymouth fire brigade senior station officer Jason Crowe confirmed firefighters were initially called after ‘‘high levels’’ of a fumigant gas were detected aboard the ship.

Crowe said firefighters liaised with the ship’s captain and port security. They were at the scene for about half an hour but did not need to board the vessel. ‘‘Within the time that we were there the fumigant dropped to a low level which required no action. Obviously it was managed well by the ship’s captain and was deemed to be in a safe state.’’

An investigation into what caused a batch of aluminium phosphide to begin to leak in the hold of the Hong Kong-registered ship was under way, shipping agent Billy Preston said.

Aluminium phosphide, which is highly flammable and an explosion hazard, is used to fumigate cargo but the process is usually carried out at sea while the vessel is in transit.

‘‘The main thing is nobody was injured or hurt and the correct processes were followed,’’ Preston said.

Port Taranaki chief executive Guy Roper confirmed the fire brigade was called as a precautionary measure.

‘‘Fumigant is placed, as normal practice, in the hold and one of the vents wasn’t sealed appropriately so the crew reported a smell of fumigant,’’ Roper said.

Roper said the crew of the vessel, which sailed at 10am on Thursday, did not need to be evacuated.

The incident occurred less than a week after fire broke out on the vessel Kota Bahagia, berthed at Napier, which is being looked into by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission.