Marie Maersk Resumes Voyage After Successful Fire Containment Off African Coast

The Maersk Triple-E class containership Marie Maersk has resumed its eastbound journey around the Cape of Good Hope following successful containment of a fire that broke out on August 13, the shipping company confirmed.

After an inspection of the affected areas and consultation with authorities, officials deemed it safe for the vessel to continue its voyage on Sunday, August 24.

“The external firefighting team will remain on board and special measures have been put in place to ensure a safe journey,” Maersk stated in its latest update.

The company noted that an intermediate stop might be implemented to handle damaged containers and mitigate disruptions to their ocean network. The final destination port remains under review.

The fire incident began when crew members detected smoke coming from containers while the Danish-flagged vessel was en route from Rotterdam, The Netherlands to Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia. At the time, the containership was positioned off the Liberian coast.

A supply vessel carrying additional firefighting equipment reached Marie Maersk on Friday evening, with special equipment transferred aboard on Saturday, August 23.

According to earlier reports, one container that had been flooded with water continued to show elevated temperatures while remaining under control. External support was critical in the containment efforts, with three tugboats and one Platform Supply Vessel with firefighting equipment assisting in recent days.

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

Built in 2013, the Marie Maersk is one of the world’s largest container vessels with a nominal capacity of 19,076 TEU. Measuring 399 meters in length and 59 meters in width, the Triple-E class vessel represents the modern generation of ultra-large container carriers.

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.

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