Fire breaks out on Maersk container ship, one crew member dead

News by Matko Rak

A fire erupted on the Maersk Frankfurt container ship near the Indian coast, reportedly carrying IMDG cargo. A fire caused by a short circuit led to explosions and the death of a Filipino crew member.

Fire breaks out on Maersk container ship, one crew member missing
Indian Coast Guard / X © Indian Coast Guard / X

A fire has broken out on the container ship Maersk Frankfurt near the Karwar region of Karnataka, India. The fire was reported around 2:30 p.m. local time on Friday, 19 July.

According to local media, a fire caused by a short circuit led to explosions and the death of a Filipino seaman.

The Maersk Frankfurt’s crew had 21 members: 17 Filipinos, two Ukrainians, one Russian, and one Montenegrin.

New information:

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships and aircraft continued their efforts on Monday to tackle the fire aboard the Maersk Frankfurt. A four-member salvage team, including chemical experts, has successfully boarded the vessel. Three ICG ships and ICG ALH helicopters have been working to suppress the fire, which intermittently reignites. Currently, thick smoke is emanating from the fire’s origin on the merchant vessel, positioned approximately 35 nautical miles southwest of Mangalore.

On Sunday, the ICG stated that the fire had spread to the starboard side of the vessel, particularly affecting the lower stacked containers. The vessel’s master confirmed the presence of flames on the starboard side. Additionally, the owner of the Maersk Frankfurt has deployed a salvage team.

The vessel, carrying 1,154 containers, is reported to be in stable condition with all machinery, steering, and navigational equipment fully operational.

Previously reported:

On Sunday, Maersk said on X that the ship managers had confirmed the passing of one of the crew members. “The rest of the crew is safe and accounted for,” Maersk added.

The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) announced in a statement that the ship’s operator reported a body in the lashing bridge, but the flames made it impossible to access.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) continues its strong response to the fire on board the Maersk Frankfurt, now entering its third day.

“Although the fire is under control, I wouldn’t say it is fully extinguished,” stated Manoj Bhatia, Deputy Inspector General of the ICG in Goa, the Times of India reported. Bhatia mentioned that it might take another day or two to completely put out the fire.

“We have control over the fire, but due to the containers and based on past experiences, it typically takes 3-4 days to fully extinguish. Even after that, the area remains heated, so we need to keep monitoring it,” Bhatia added.

Fire reignites midship

On Sunday, ICG reported on X that while the fire in the forepart has been suppressed, heavy smoke remains and the fire has reignited midship. The ICG ships Sachet, Sujeet, and Samrat are continuing fire-fighting operations.

The ICG Pollution Control Vessel Samudra Prahari is also being deployed to the scene. A Dornier aircraft and an ALH Dhruv helicopter have assessed the vessel, and no crew evacuation is needed at this point. The helicopter dropped 150 kg of Dry Chemical Powder to help control the blaze.

“The master of the vessel has indicated that anchoring is not feasible due to the inaccessibility of the front area, which has been compromised by melting containers, posing significant risks to the crew,” said a Coast Guard official.

Local media reports indicate that the crew attempted to extinguish the fire but were unsuccessful. The fire rapidly spread on deck, causing containers to explode. Initial reports indicate that 20 containers are on fire.

On Saturday morning, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) reported on X that three ICG ships had been fighting the fire for over 12 hours. As of 7:00 a.m. local time, 20 July, the vessel is 6.5 nautical miles south of Karwar, with ICG aircraft conducting aerial assessments. An additional aircraft from Kochi is positioned for SAR.

Explosions on the front end

Initially, two ICG ships were dispatched from Goa to combat the fire with an ICG aircraft also deployed for an aerial assessment of the distressed vessel, located approximately 102 nautical miles southwest of Goa.

Dramatic visuals reveal intense flames on the container ship as the ICG ships work to extinguish the fire with water. ICG said explosions have been occurring on the front end of the vessel.

The vessel, reportedly carrying International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) cargo, is facing challenging firefighting efforts due to adverse weather conditions and heavy rain, as reported by ANI.

The 255-meter-long vessel, built in 2024, departed Mundra, India on July 17 and was scheduled to reach Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 21. The 5,920 TEU Maersk Frankfurt was delivered to its Japanese owners by Imabari Shipbuilding in May. It is managed by Bernard Schulte and is operating under a time charter to Maersk.

Maersk confirmed

Maersk on X confirmed the incident, stating: “We can confirm that a fire was reported onboard one of our time chartered vessels, Maersk Frankfurt, around 14:30 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. 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.”

Credit: Indian Coast Guard / X

Credit: Indian Coast Guard / X

Container Shipping Hazardous cargo Safety & Security Shipping & Logistics India Indian Coast Guard Maersk Frankfurt Ship on fire

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Fire breaks out on Maersk container ship, one crew member dead ‣ WorldCargo News

Fire breaks out on Maersk container ship, one crew member dead

News by Matko Rak

A fire erupted on the Maersk Frankfurt container ship near the Indian coast, reportedly carrying IMDG cargo. A fire caused by a short circuit led to explosions and the death of a Filipino crew member.

Fire breaks out on Maersk container ship, one crew member missing
Indian Coast Guard / X © Indian Coast Guard / X

A fire has broken out on the container ship Maersk Frankfurt near the Karwar region of Karnataka, India. The fire was reported around 2:30 p.m. local time on Friday, 19 July.

According to local media, a fire caused by a short circuit led to explosions and the death of a Filipino seaman.

The Maersk Frankfurt’s crew had 21 members: 17 Filipinos, two Ukrainians, one Russian, and one Montenegrin.

New information:

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships and aircraft continued their efforts on Monday to tackle the fire aboard the Maersk Frankfurt. A four-member salvage team, including chemical experts, has successfully boarded the vessel. Three ICG ships and ICG ALH helicopters have been working to suppress the fire, which intermittently reignites. Currently, thick smoke is emanating from the fire’s origin on the merchant vessel, positioned approximately 35 nautical miles southwest of Mangalore.

On Sunday, the ICG stated that the fire had spread to the starboard side of the vessel, particularly affecting the lower stacked containers. The vessel’s master confirmed the presence of flames on the starboard side. Additionally, the owner of the Maersk Frankfurt has deployed a salvage team.

The vessel, carrying 1,154 containers, is reported to be in stable condition with all machinery, steering, and navigational equipment fully operational.

Previously reported:

On Sunday, Maersk said on X that the ship managers had confirmed the passing of one of the crew members. “The rest of the crew is safe and accounted for,” Maersk added.

The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) announced in a statement that the ship’s operator reported a body in the lashing bridge, but the flames made it impossible to access.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) continues its strong response to the fire on board the Maersk Frankfurt, now entering its third day.

“Although the fire is under control, I wouldn’t say it is fully extinguished,” stated Manoj Bhatia, Deputy Inspector General of the ICG in Goa, the Times of India reported. Bhatia mentioned that it might take another day or two to completely put out the fire.

“We have control over the fire, but due to the containers and based on past experiences, it typically takes 3-4 days to fully extinguish. Even after that, the area remains heated, so we need to keep monitoring it,” Bhatia added.

Fire reignites midship

On Sunday, ICG reported on X that while the fire in the forepart has been suppressed, heavy smoke remains and the fire has reignited midship. The ICG ships Sachet, Sujeet, and Samrat are continuing fire-fighting operations.

The ICG Pollution Control Vessel Samudra Prahari is also being deployed to the scene. A Dornier aircraft and an ALH Dhruv helicopter have assessed the vessel, and no crew evacuation is needed at this point. The helicopter dropped 150 kg of Dry Chemical Powder to help control the blaze.

“The master of the vessel has indicated that anchoring is not feasible due to the inaccessibility of the front area, which has been compromised by melting containers, posing significant risks to the crew,” said a Coast Guard official.

Local media reports indicate that the crew attempted to extinguish the fire but were unsuccessful. The fire rapidly spread on deck, causing containers to explode. Initial reports indicate that 20 containers are on fire.

On Saturday morning, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) reported on X that three ICG ships had been fighting the fire for over 12 hours. As of 7:00 a.m. local time, 20 July, the vessel is 6.5 nautical miles south of Karwar, with ICG aircraft conducting aerial assessments. An additional aircraft from Kochi is positioned for SAR.

Explosions on the front end

Initially, two ICG ships were dispatched from Goa to combat the fire with an ICG aircraft also deployed for an aerial assessment of the distressed vessel, located approximately 102 nautical miles southwest of Goa.

Dramatic visuals reveal intense flames on the container ship as the ICG ships work to extinguish the fire with water. ICG said explosions have been occurring on the front end of the vessel.

The vessel, reportedly carrying International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) cargo, is facing challenging firefighting efforts due to adverse weather conditions and heavy rain, as reported by ANI.

The 255-meter-long vessel, built in 2024, departed Mundra, India on July 17 and was scheduled to reach Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 21. The 5,920 TEU Maersk Frankfurt was delivered to its Japanese owners by Imabari Shipbuilding in May. It is managed by Bernard Schulte and is operating under a time charter to Maersk.

Maersk confirmed

Maersk on X confirmed the incident, stating: “We can confirm that a fire was reported onboard one of our time chartered vessels, Maersk Frankfurt, around 14:30 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. 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.”

Credit: Indian Coast Guard / X

Credit: Indian Coast Guard / X

Container Shipping Hazardous cargo Safety & Security Shipping & Logistics India Indian Coast Guard Maersk Frankfurt Ship on fire

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Fire on Maersk Frankfurt nearly out

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