MSC Giada III suffered an explosion and fire near St. Petersburg, but all 22 crew members are safe. No environmental risks reported.
According to ship tracking data and regional intervention records, the container ship MSC Giada III, operated by MSC, experienced an explosion and subsequent fire while approaching the port of St. Petersburg in Russia's Neva Bay.
Explosion in the Engine Room The Liberia-flagged feeder container ship, with a capacity of approximately 2,732 TEU and 24 years old, succumbed to a fire following an explosion in the engine room while en route from Belgium to St. Petersburg. It was reported that the fire spread to the ship's superstructure after the explosion. It was announced that all 22 crew members on board during the incident were safe and that no injuries occurred.
Emergency Response and Extinguishing Efforts The St. Petersburg Port Authority dispatched emergency response units to the area, including the rescue vessel Spasatel Karev and the icebreaker Semyon Dezhnev, following the incident. Local media reported that the fire was brought under control a few hours after the explosion.
No Environmental Risk Authorities reported that initial inspections found no damage to the ship's hull and no fuel leak was detected. After the fire was extinguished, MSC Giada III was towed to the port of St. Petersburg for detailed inspection and technical assessment.
Flag Confusion and AIS Data Immediately after the incident, some initial reports claimed that the ship was flying the Panama flag. However, maritime safety expert Vanguard stated that AIS ship tracking data and the positioning of the rescue teams directed to the area clearly indicated that the vessel involved in the incident was MSC Giada III.
In the Shadow of Increased Inspections This incident occurred during a period of heightened inspections of ship traffic heading to Russian ports in the Gulf of Finland. Recently, Estonian authorities had detained the Bahama-flagged container ship Baltic Spirit during its voyage to St. Petersburg. The latest development indicates that maritime traffic and security practices in the region will be monitored even more closely.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
