UPDATE 18 July:

Leonhardt & Blumberg spokesperson Cor Radings notes in a phone call that two salvage companies have been contracted, Five Oceans and SMIT Salvage, to begin work on saving the MV Hansa Brandenburg and her cargo.  Overflights from Mauritius have confirmed that the fire has affected the superstructure of the vessel, but a current status of the vessel is unclear.

The tug Coral Sea Flos is currently on its way to the vessel and the Mauritian Coast Guard is monitoring the situation.  The Hansa Papenburg, a sister ship of the Hansa Brandenburg, is in the vicinity and will be monitoring the situation and supporting as needed.

Earlier:

A fire believed to have originated in a container has left the Hansa Brandenburg containership burning and adrift in the Indian Ocean near the island of Mauritius.

The fire broke out Monday (15 JULY) while underway some 200 miles from Mauritius. All 17 crew members abandoned ship and were picked up by the MV DONAU TRADER which happened to be in the area. The crew was unharmed and they have been taken to Mauritius.

A photo of the ship shows black and grey smoke billowing from vessel’s cargo hold near the superstructure.

The 1,740 TEU Hansa Brandenburg is owned by Hamburg, Germany-based Leonhardt & Blumberg and is flagged in Liberia.

According to a statement by Leonhardt & Blumberg on 18 July, the vessel is still adrift and on fire. Mauritian authorities and National Coast Guard are monitoring the situation and coordinating any further action to mitigate any potential damage to the environment.

No comments were made on any possible firefighting efforts being made however.

The vessel was en route from Singapore to Durban, South Africa.