Fire Contained on Maersk Triple-E Vessel Off African Coast as Firefighting Efforts Intensify

The crew of the Marie Maersk has successfully contained a fire that broke out aboard the vessel on August 13, preventing it from spreading further after several days of firefighting efforts.

The incident began when crew members detected smoke coming from containers while the vessel was en route from Rotterdam, The Netherlands to Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia. The Danish-flagged containership, currently positioned off the Liberian coast, has maintained operational stability throughout the emergency.

“The crew is safe and the vessel is in stable condition, with all machinery, steering and navigational equipment fully operational,” Maersk confirmed in a statement.

External support has played a crucial role in the containment efforts, with three tugboats and one Platform Supply Vessel with firefighting equipment reaching the vessel in recent days. These assets have bolstered the crew’s ongoing firefighting operations, which are expected to intensify once external firefighters can board the vessel.

Maersk’s expert Crisis Response Team remains in constant communication with the vessel crew, providing all possible support throughout the emergency. The company has indicated that the vessel will be diverted to a port of refuge, though the specific location is still under consideration.

“Due to the prevailing conditions in the respective cargo bays we still cannot confirm the exact impact of the fire on the cargo yet,” Maersk stated.

The Marie Maersk is a Triple-E class containership with a nominal capacity of 19,076 TEU and was built in 2013. At 399 meters in length and 59 meters in width, it ranks as one of the world’s largest container vessels.

This incident adds to a concerning pattern of container vessel fires in recent years, highlighting ongoing safety challenges facing the shipping industry as vessels continue to increase in size and capacity.

Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights

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

— trusted by our 106,865 members