The Marie Maersk, a containership with a capacity of over 19,000 TEU, is en route to Malaysia after a container fire, with Maersk declaring General Average to share firefighting costs. While the carrier has not revealed the extent of the damage, images taken by supply vessels that assisted off the coast of Africa showed no obvious signs of fire impact. Maersk stated that the full picture will only emerge once the cargo is unloaded and inspected.
Cargo claims consultant WK Webster reports that the vessel’s entire load will likely be discharged in Malaysia, though it had originally been bound for China. It advises that all cargo interests will need to provide GA security before their goods are released. Surveyors and fire experts are already on standby to assess the damage and investigate the cause.
The crew first spotted smoke on August 13 off Liberia and contained the fire with tugboat support before an expert team boarded on August 19. The vessel is scheduled to reach Tanjung Pelepas on September 14, with Maersk and insurers planning an investigation.
The case comes as the World Shipping Council warns of rising risks from mis-declared and poorly packed cargo. Recent inspections found deficiencies in 11.39% of containers, including issues with documentation, labelling, stowage, and packaging.
