Navy Rescues 20 as Vessel Catches Fire off Calabar
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Navy Rescues 20 as Vessel Catches Fire off Calabar
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Nigerian Navy has rescued 20 crew members from a burning vessel, MV Chimba Express, following a fire incident along the Calabar waterways on Monday.
The rescue operation took place on December 22, 2025, after Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) OSE, while on routine patrol, received a distress call from the vessel at about 1:00pm.
Confirming the incident, the Director of Naval Information, Commodore A. Adams-Aliu, said naval personnel arrived to find the vessel already engulfed in flames.
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“On arrival at the scene, it was observed that some of the crew members had jumped overboard, while others were stranded on the exposed deck of the vessel,” he said.
He explained that a coordinated rescue effort was immediately launched by personnel from NNS OSE, Naval Security Station 030 and Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ibaka.
“Through the joint efforts of our personnel, 20 crew members were successfully rescued alive, while a search and rescue operation is ongoing for one missing crew member, the Chief Engineer,” Adams-Aliu said.
He added that the Navy had confirmed that a total of 21 persons were on board the MV Chimba Express at the time of the incident.
The naval spokesperson noted that efforts were being intensified to locate the missing crew member, describing the operation as a demonstration of the Navy’s professionalism and readiness.
According to him, “the successful rescue underscores the vision of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, to build a modern, agile and professional naval force dedicated to securing Nigeria’s maritime domain.”
The Navy reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of lives and property within the nation’s waterways.
