28 Crew Evacuated from Burning Ro-Ro Vessel in English Channel

A major international rescue operation successfully evacuated 28 crew members from the roll-on/roll-off container vessel (Con-Ro) Grande Brasile after a fire broke out aboard on Tuesday, February 18.

The vessel, which was approximately 15 miles off the Ramsgate coast, initially issued a Mayday call at around 9:35 a.m. on Tuesday morning after discovering a fire on one of the decks. On board fire-suppression measures initially brought the situation under control. However, a second report of a fire was made at about 4:25 p.m., prompting a renewed response effort that evening.

By 10 p.m., the crew evacuated onto the Grande Brasile’s lifeboat about 12 nautical miles off Ramsgate, where they were picked up by a tug assisting with the operation. A HM Coastguard spokesperson confirmed that a coordinated response included a HM Coastguard helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft, a Belgian Coast Guard helicopter, and RNLI all-weather lifeboats from Dover and Ramsgate.

“The crew were transferred from the tug onto the Ramsgate lifeboat and taken to Ramsgate, where they were met by the South East Coast Ambulance Service,” the spokesperson said. “Deal, Folkestone, Langdon, and Margate Coastguard Rescue Teams attended, as well as Kent Fire and Rescue Service and UK Border Force. The crew are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.”

The HM Coastguard coordinated the multinational response with support from Dutch, French, and Belgian authorities. “The [Dutch] coast guard aircraft was first on scene to provide information and imagery to the British Coast Guard,” Netherlands Coastguard officials reported, noting that the aircraft had quickly diverted its course after receiving the vessel’s mayday call.

By Tuesday evening, salvage operations were underway, with the tug Multratug 35 establishing a towing connection to the burning vessel. Additional support vessels, including the Multratug 36, Kamara, and the French Coast Guard vessel Abeille Normandie, remained on site to assist with the operation. Smit Salvage has been contracted to tow the vessel to port.

The Grande Brasile is operated by Atlantic Container Line, a unit of Grimaldi Group, and is registered in Malta. AIS data shows it was on a voyage from Antwerp, Belgium, to La Havre, France. Its status is currently listed as “Not Under Command.”

This incident follows other fires on Grimaldi-operated vessels since 2019, which led the Italian shipping company to call for stricter controls and regulations on dangerous cargo transport at sea. In March 2019, Grimaldi Lines’ roll-on/roll-off containership Grande America caught fire and sank in the Bay of Biscay after a fire reportedly started in a single container before spreading to others on deck. Two months later, on May 15, 2019, the Grimaldi Lines vehicle carrier Grande Europa caught fire off the coast of Mallorca, Spain, in the Mediterranean Sea.

In July 2023, the Grande Costa d’Avorio, another Grimaldi Lines Con-Ro, caught fire at Port Newark, New Jersey. The fire spread across multiple decks containing vehicles and burned for nearly a week despite extensive firefighting efforts. Two Newark firefighters died in the operation.

Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights

Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update

— trusted by our 107,016 members