Emma Maersk Takes on Water Near Suez Canal, But is NOT in Danger of Sinking

The Emma Maersk at Port Said, Egypt

UPDATE: Emma Maersk out for months, Maersk Line says.

Original: The mighty Emma Maersk, once the world’s largest containership by TEU capacity, was taking on water and lost power Friday night near the northern entrance of the Suez Canal, fueling reports that the vessel was in danger of sinking.

In a statement on its Facebook page, Maersk Line confirmed that the Emma Maersk did in fact experience mechanical issues, but also shot down rumors that the vessel was ever in danger of sinking.

We can confirm that our container vessel Emma Maersk has been facing mechanical problems at the northern entrance of the Suez Canal. She is now berthed in Port Said East SCCT in Egypt where she’s being discharged. All crew members are safe.

Maersk Line later commented that the vessel experienced an ingress of water into the engine room which caused the vessel to lose power. Maersk says it will release details later, but an initial assessment is that the vessel was never in danger of sinking and an investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing.

Ship traffic through the Suez Canal was not affected, port officials confirmed.

When launched in 2006, the Emma Maersk was the largest container ship ever built which at 397 meters long can carry a 14,770 TEU, or about 11,000 TEU depending on your definition.

As of Monday night, no additional information about the status of the ship has been released by Maersk Line.

Updated: February 27, 2014 (Originally published February 2, 2013)

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