GERMAN shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd has said that the fire onboard the Yantian Express, which broke out in one of the boxes on the deck on January 3 and spread to other containers, is now under control
GERMAN shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd has said that the fire onboard the Yantian Express, which broke out in one of the boxes on the deck on January 3 and spread to other containers, is now under control. The 7,510-TEU ship was en route from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Halifax, Nova Scotia via the Suez Canal. All 23 crewmembers were evacuated to the salvage tug Smit Nicobar, which arrived the day after the fire erupted, and no injuries were reported.
In its latest statement on the fire, Hapag-Lloyd said five crew members have been safely transferred from the ocean-going tug Smit Nicobar back onto the vessel, and that it is currently being towed safely at slow speed by the Maersk Mobiliser.
A third ocean-going tug is on its way to the Yantian Express and will begin activities tomorrow (January 13). Furthermore, Hapag-Lloyd has reiterated that it is too early to determine the extent of the damage caused by the fire.
The Yantian Express is 320 metres long and sails under German flag in the East Coast Loop 5 (EC5) service and was built in 2002, according to media reports.
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