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Maersk Line container vessel on fire in Arabian Sea – four missing
[ March 7, 2018 // Chris ]A serious fire broke out on board the 15,262teu Maersk Honam while she was en route from Singapore to Suez at 15.20GMT on 6 March, 900 nautical miles southeast of Salalah, Oman. Following unsuccessful attempts to fight the fire, 23 crew members were safely evacuated to the ALS Ceres, but four remain missing. The fire is still buring and the situation of the vessel is very critical, says Maersk.
Maersk Line is in the process of informing the relatives of all crew. Two members are currently receiving medical first aid onboard the ALS Ceres. The nationalities of the 27 crew members are: India (13), the Phillipines (9), Romania (1), South Africa (1), Thailand (2) and the UK (1).
The vessel is carrying 7,860 containers and all customers affected will be contacted directly.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown. The shipping industry has in the past raised may concerns over fires in containerised cargo and whether hazardous goods are always properly declared by shippers, although it is not at this stage whether the fire occurred in the vessel’s cargo or elsewhere.
The container vessels MSC Lauren, Edith Mærsk and Gerd Mærsk have diverted and are approaching the area. Weather conditions in the area are currently fair.