A fire broke out on board the MSC Capetown III container ship while it was docked at the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) berth IV in Colombo Port, Sri Lanka, early on Sunday, August 11. The Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA) reported that the fire, which followed an explosion below deck, was fully extinguished by Monday, with no casualties among the crew or port staff.
The incident occurred around 00:30 hrs, sparking immediate concern due to the vessel’s cargo, which included dangerous goods. The SLPA acted swiftly, evacuating all operations staff and crew from the ship as fire crews worked to contain the blaze. The ship had arrived at Colombo Port on Sunday afternoon, having sailed from Singapore, and was scheduled to unload 995 containers and load an additional 885 before departing.
Incident Follows Another Shipping Disaster Just Days Earlier
Before the explosion, around 60 containers located in the vicinity of the blast had already been unloaded, including the container carrying hazardous materials. SLPA Chairman Keith D. Bernard confirmed that an investigation into the incident had been initiated, with a comprehensive report to follow. Additionally, insurers are conducting their own inquiries to assess the damage and determine the cause of the explosion.
The MSC Capetown III, a Portuguese-flagged vessel built in 2006, is managed by MSC Shipmanagement in Cyprus. The vessel’s timely evacuation and the successful extinguishing of the fire prevented what could have been a more devastating outcome, especially given the presence of dangerous cargo on board.
A fire was reported on board the ship MSC CAPETOWN III at the Colombo Port, Sunday, but the flames were later extinguished.#Srilanka #Colombo #ColomboPort https://t.co/U6mP4YxfRQ pic.twitter.com/ojJV7rpsPD
— Easwaran Christian Rutnam (@easwaranrutnam) August 11, 2024
This incident at Colombo Port came just days after another similar event. On August 9, a massive explosion and subsequent fire occurred on the Yang Ming vessel YM Mobility while it was docked at the Chinese port of Ningbo-Zhoushan. The two incidents highlight ongoing safety concerns in the global shipping industry, particularly regarding the handling and transport of hazardous materials.
As investigations continue, the maritime community is likely to scrutinize both events closely, aiming to uncover the causes and implement measures to prevent such occurrences in the future. The SLPA’s quick response and the subsequent handling of the situation have been crucial in averting a larger disaster at one of South Asia’s key ports.
