11090
From: Captainj, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Hapag-Lloyd Containership On Fire Off the East Coast of Canada
URL: http://gcaptain.com/hapag-lloyd-containership-yantian-express-on-fire-off-east-coast-of-canada/
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A fire has broke out aboard a Hapag-Lloyd containership in the North Atlantic off the east coast of Canada. In a statement posted to its website, Hapag-Lloyd said the fire started January 3 in one container on the deck of the Yantian Express and has spread to additional containers. Efforts to extinguish the fire were launched immediately but were suspended due to a significant deterioration of weather conditions. At the time of the update, the ship was located approximately 650 nautical miles off the coast of Canada. The crew of 8 officers and 15 seafarers are unharmed, Hapag- Lloyd said. The ship was sailing from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Halifax, via the Suez Canal, where it was expected to arrive on January 4, according to AIS ship tracking data. The U.S. Coast Guard said Friday afternoon that it is coordinating the response efforts to ensure the safety of the crew. Another commercial vessel, Happy Ranger, was just 20 miles from the position of the Yantian Express and has diverted to provide assistance. A commercial tugboat is also en route. The Coast Guard said it is monitoring the situation. The 7,510 TEU vessel 320-meters-long and is flagged in German flag. The ship operates in the East Coast Loop 5 (EC5) service. It was built in 2002. “It is still too early to make a precise estimate of any damage to the vessel or its cargo. Hapag-Lloyd is closely cooperating with all relevant authorities,” Hapag-Lloyd said. Both the Yantian Express and Happy Ranger are participating in the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) program. “Thanks to the participation of mariners in the AMVER system, we were able to coordinate a quick response,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Kelly Badal, operations unit watchstander at the Fifth District command center. “This system is crucial to coordinating nearby vessels to provide assistance when an emergency arises far from Coast Guard assets.” No pollution or injuries have been reported. The incident adds to a busy start to the year in terms of maritime accidents. On December 31, the car carrier Sincerity Ace suffered a fire with five fatalities in the Pacific Ocean between Japan and Hawaii. This ship is now abandoned, adrift and the fire continues on board. On January 1, the mega containership MSC ZOE lost an estimated 270 containers overboard in heavy weather in the North Sea. No injuries were reported. On January 2, a 308-foot Chinese-flagged fish carrier, named Ou Ya Leng No. 6, ran aground on an uninhabited atoll in the Marshall Islands. Currently the crew of 24 remain on board the vessel. |
11102
From: Captainj, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Fire on Yantian Express Under Control; Ship Now Under Tow to Halifax
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Hapag-Lloyd says the container fire on board the Yantian Express is now ‘largely’ under control and the ship is currently under tow back to Canada. The fire on the 7,510 TEU-capacity Yantian Express started in a single container on 3 January before spreading to additional containers on deck which forced the evacuation of the ship over the weekend. In an update Thursday, Hapag-Lloyd said efforts to extinguish the fire have been making continues progress under the direction of the salvage company Smit and in cooperation with the Hapag-Lloyd crew on the scene as well as Hapag-Lloyd’s emergency-response team in Hamburg. “These combined efforts have allowed the fire to be largely contained and brought under control,” the company said in its update. On Wednesday evening, five of the Yantian Express’s crew were transferred back to the ship from the ocean-going tug Smit Nicobar, which has been on scene fighting the fire. All 24 crew members abandoned the ship to the Smit Nicobar last Saturday and Sunday after the fire ‘significantly increased’ in intensity, Hapag-Lloyd said previously. The Yantian Express is now currently being towed at a slow speed by the Maersk Mobiliser, which was sent to retrieve the ship and tow her back to Halifax, according to Hapag-Lloyd. The ship continues to be about 800 nautical miles off the coast of Canada, the company said. A third ocean-going tug is also on its way to the Yantian Express and is expected to begin assisting the activities on 13 January. BREAKING: The #YantianExpress has reversed course. It is no longer drifting east; it’s now heading northwest towards Canada, likely being towed. pic.twitter.com/dBCeGn4DDF — Brett Ruskin (@Brett_CBC) January 10, 2019 “At this time, it is not possible to make a precise estimate of any damage to the “Yantian Express” or its cargo. Hapag- Lloyd is working in close cooperation with all relevant authorities,” Hapag-Lloyd’s update said. The 320-meter, German-flagged Yantian Express was built in 2002 and operates on the East Coast Loop 5 (EC5) service. The ship was sailing from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Halifax when the fire started. The U.S. Coast Guard says it has been monitoring the situation. Pretty soon, however, the ship will be entering the Canadian Coast Guard’s search and rescue region as it is towed closer to Halifax. |
Responses:
None
11091
From: chatillion, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Another one!?(NT)
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11092
From: Captainj, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Another one!?(NT)
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Makes me wonder whether or not the chemicals and contents within are being truthfully claimed and/or properly segregated...It really comes down to who is loading them... |
Responses:
[11093]
11093
From: Captainj, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Another one!?(NT)
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I think I already know the answer.........."The ship was sailing from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Halifax" |
Responses:
None