Celso Banas inquest: Cause of Manhattan Bridge blast may never be known

The explosion in the boiler room of the Manhattan Bridge container ship killed Celso Banas

The exact cause of an explosion which killed a sailor aboard a container ship may never be known, an inquest heard.

Celso Banas, 35, died on the Manhattan Bridge as it docked at Felixstowe, Suffolk, on 19 January 2017.

An inquest jury in Ipswich reached a narrative conclusion but could not pinpoint why unburned fuel had entered a boiler furnace, causing the blast.

The burner manufacturer and ship owner both said they have changed safety processes since Mr Banas's death.

Suffolk coroner Nigel Parsley said had they not already made changes following the "truly tragic" death, he would have ordered them under his powers as coroner to prevent further lives being risked.

'Cause could not be ascertained'

The jury took two hours to reach a conclusion on the third day of the inquest, concluding that Mr Banas "died from injuries received following an explosion in an auxiliary boiler".

They added: "The actual cause of the explosion could not be ascertained from the available evidence."

The inquest had heard from two engineering experts, who agreed that unburned fuel had got into boiler furnace because of poor combustion.

But one said that insufficient burning was because of a waxy buildup of oil which stopped the fuel flowing freely, while the other said oil pressure had fallen without being detected.

The court was told the waxy build-up was as a result of cold weather, but that a chemical additive could solve the problem.

Chief engineer Marrano Mulunao said the additive was not used, as the ship had never experienced the build-up.

K Line Shipping Europe, the owner of the ship, has since offered staff more training and recalibrated oil pressure alarms to make them more sensitive. Burner manufacturer Sunflame has changed its display units and alarm reset procedures.

Mr Banas, a married father of one, was described as a "wonderful father" and "the perfect husband" by his wife Jesselyn Vuelban Banas.

Celso Banas had been responding to an alarm on a boiler on board the Manhattan Bridge