Firefighting Continues on Maersk Containership in Arabian Sea

Update (July 20): The Indian Coast Guard reports some progress in fighting the fire. Full update at bottom.

A newbuild containership chartered by Maersk has suffered a major cargo fire in the Arabian Sea off the coast of India.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbai received distress call on Friday from the containership M/V Maersk Frankfurt reporting a major fire approximately 50 nautical miles off Karwar, India.

The ICG said that its Dornier aircraft and ships Sachet, Sujeet, and Samrat are responding to the incident. Efforts are currently focused on firefighting to ensure the safety of both the vessel and its crew.

Maersk confirmed details of the incident in a statement posted to X.

“We can confirm that a fire was reported onboard one of our time chartered vessels, Maersk Frankfurt, around 1430 IST while the vessel was sailing from Mundra to Colombo. Firefighting is underway with support from the Indian Coast Guard. The vessel is in stable condition,” Maersk’s statement said.

“At the moment, we are unable to confirm the extent of the fire’s impact on the chartered vessel, Maersk Frankfurt. We are in constant touch with the vessel owner and ship managers. The safety of the crew remains the top priority at this moment,” the statement added.

The ship is reported to have at least some hazardous cargo on board, although Maersk has yet to confirm those details.

The 225-meter-long Maersk Frankfurt was delivered in 2024 and is registered in Panama. Equasis data shows the ship is owned by LEO OCEAN/TOKEI KAIUN of Japan and it’s ISM manager is BERNHARD SCHULTE-HKG LP of Hong Kong.

Update (July 20, 2024):

The Indian Coast Guard continued its response to the fire on the Maersk Frankfurt on Saturday. The fire in the forepart has been suppressed, but heavy smoke continues and has reignited midship. ICG ships Sachet, Sujeet, and Samrat are engaged in firefighting operations. Additionally, ICG Pollution Control Vessel Samudra Prahari is being deployed to the scene today.

A Dornier aircraft and ALH Dhruv helicopter have assessed the vessel and no crew evacuation is required as of yet. “#ICG remains committed to ensuring safety and mitigating environmental impact. Efforts are ongoing,” it said on X.

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