Maersk container ship suffers engine room fire

A Maersk vessel en-route to South Africa has suffered a major engine room fire that has disabled the vessel some 220 nautical miles off the coast of Guadaloupe, in the Caribbean Sea.

An engine room fire has disabled the Maersk Vilnius in the Caribbean Sea.

A Maersk Line statement confirmed that the 1,800TEU Maersk Vilnius had suffered damage as a result of fire on 26 April, but the company said that all crew were safe, and the fire has been extinguished. There was no reported pollution as a result of the accident.

The Singapore flagged ship was travelling to Port Elizabeth in South Africa from Freeport in the Bahamas when the fire occurred.

“The vessel remains at sea in a safe area. Required firefighting measures were promptly deployed by vessel’s crew and fire has been extinguished. Vessel power has been restored, including the power to reefer units on board,” said Maersk.

The company added that the extent of the damage to the vessel is being assessed.

“Potential repair options and cargo contingency are being evaluated at available ports. The safety and health of our people is our main priority and we are cooperating fully with the French Coast Guard,” added the Danish operator.