The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) successfully averted a potential disaster following a fire on August 12, onboard the container vessel MV “MSC CAPETOWN III” at the Jaya Container Terminal in the Port of Colombo.
The vessel, which is part of the East Africa Service or South Asia – East Africa Service (DAR ES SALAM SERVICE), was discharging 995 boxes and loading 880 boxes at the time of the incident. The MSC CAPETOWN III, an 18-year-old container ship built in 2006, bearing IMO number 9311737 and sailing under the flag of Madeira, arrived at JCT from Singapore in the early hours of August 11, 2024.
The vessel was also carrying 596 through cargo containers (out-port containers). The incident occurred in the 41/43 hatch area, where a fire initiated in the vicinity of 100 under-deck containers and 60 on-deck containers. This fire eventually escalated to an explosion.
The vessel berthed at our terminal showed no prior signs of fire. However, during operations, our team identified the precise location from which the smoke was originating, leading to an explosion. Our firefighters, led by the Harbour Master and in collaboration with other port services, acted swiftly to extinguish the fire and safely remove the affected cargo
… said SLPA’s Director of Port Operations, Mr. H.J.K.U. Kumara, adding that their timely and decisive actions prevented what could have been a catastrophic event.
This incident marks the second explosion onboard a container ship in less than a week. On August 9, 2024, an explosion was also noted on the containership YM Mobility at the Port of Ningbo.
Investigations into the cause of the fire and the status of the cargo are ongoing.
