A bulk cargo ship — under investigation for a boiler explosion last weekend — may be stuck in Bluff for some months.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (Taic) and Maritime New Zealand is looking into an explosion on the ship Olivia, which was berthed in Bluff.
The accident happened at 4.30am last Saturday.
Three people were taken to Southland Hospital.
A commission spokesman said the incident occurred while the Malta-registered bulk carrier was berthed at South Port.
Three crew members were working on a boiler in the engine room when there was an explosion or flashback, injuring all three.
One person had hospital-level burns while the other two crew members had only minor burns, the spokesman said.
The 12-year-old ship was moved to berth five at the port on Wednesday afternoon.
A three-person team — a former ship captain, a senior engineer and a data extraction expert — from Taic have been at the ship investigating the incident.
They interviewed all members of the crew and any other people involved. They also took photographs of the affected areas.
The commission would look into the incident but any report would be 18 months to two years away.
A Maritime NZ spokesman said it was investigating.
Many notifiable incidents at ports are investigated by Maritime NZ.
Maritime NZ can consider prosecution as it is designated to oversee port safety through an agreement with WorkSafe.
The commission did not have the power to keep a ship at a berth but it had put a protection order over parts of the ship as it gathered evidence.
Once the commission moved out of evidence gathering — which usually takes a few months — it would write to the ship owner to say the protection order would be lifted and it was free to sail.
Maritime NZ was limited in what it could say as it might prosecute.
The commission does not look into laying blame but instead considers what can be learned from the incident.
