USCG was alerted at 0328 CT Jan 16, receiving report of electric fire in engine room of the US-flagged car carrier ALLIANCE ST. LOUIS. Fire was extinguished by crew, but vessel was disabled, drifting in vicinity 26 47N 089 44W, some 130 nm southwest of southern tip of Mississippi Delta. Tug MARIYA MORAN approached disabled vessel and is keeping close in case of emergency. Tug CROSBY ENDEAVOR (IMO 7501118) was sent to take freighter on tow. She’s to be towed to Port Arthur, Texas. As of 0330 UTC Jan 17, CROSBY ENDEAVOR was already sailing in Gulf, ETA ALLIANCE ST. LOUIS roughly in 10 hours or less. ALLIANCE ST. LOUIS left Port Arthur on Jan 15, bound for Beaumont.
