Fire on Espirito Santo Express puts most of its cargo at risk of loss
Hapag-Lloyd and Ocean Network Express informed customers that most of the ship's cargo may have been severely damaged or lost after the fire in the South Atlantic.
The fire aboard the container ship Espirito Santo Express, which occurred on October 15 during its voyage between Singapore and Santos, led Hapag-Lloyd and Ocean Network Express (ONE) to warn customers that most of the cargo carried could be lost.
According to the companies, information provided by the vessel's owner, Seaspan, indicates that most of the containers may have been severely damaged by the fire or may represent a total loss. The condition of each unit, however, has not yet been determined.
The 28 crew members left the ship after smoke and flames were detected in a cargo area forward of the accommodation block. They were rescued by the bulk carrier Aeolian Arrow. During the operation, the chief officer of the rescue vessel fell into the sea and was not recovered.
Firefighting and salvage operations continued in the following days. The fire was reported to be under control, but the Espirito Santo Express still had to be taken to a place of refuge so that an inspection could assess the damage.
The carriers said that taking the ship to a safe location and assessing the cargo would take considerable time. After an initial analysis, Hapag-Lloyd plans to contact customers whose shipments may be recoverable to arrange inspections.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation, and the companies had not provided an estimate for the vessel's arrival at the place of refuge.