UPDATE 2: 22 July
Shipmanagement Company Leonhardt & Blumberg report that their container vessel MV “HANSA BRANDENBURG” is currently being towed to Mauritius after salvors have successfully been able to make a towing connection on the weekend. A final decision on the port of refuge yet has to be made. Upon arrival a further assessment of damage to the vessel will follow.
Experts of Five Oceans Salvage LTD & SMIT Salvage BV extinguished the fire on “HANSA BRANDENBURG” last Friday after the ship suffered from a fire when transiting from Singapore to Durban on July 15. All crew of the vessel were safely rescued by the attending container vessel “DONAU TRADER” and are unharmed.
UPDATE 1: 19 July
Leonhardt & Blumburg spokesperson, Cor Radings notes in an emailed statement this morning that the firefighters from Five Oceans and SMIT Salvage “have been able to successfully control the fire onboard the ship. ”
In their statement they note that the fire which has burned since Monday has inflicted the most damage to the cargo hold and the accommodation block adjacent to the cargo hold.
A specific status of the containers was not given and the salvage crews continue their inspection of the vessel and are making her ready for tow.
In an emailed statement this morning from Leonhardt & Blumburg spokesperson, Cor Radings, he confirmed that firefighting efforts have finally begun on board the M/V Hansa Brandenburg, a 1,740 TEU cargo vessel which has been on fire since Monday, 15 July.
Radings notes that the salvage experts “are making good progress to extinguish the fire,” but no further status of the vessel or cargo was yet available.
This is the third major fire to engulf a containership in the past year. Last summer, a fire on board the MSC Flaminia killed three sailors and caused millions of dollars in damage, and last month, the bow section of the MOL Comfort unexpectedly caught fire resulting in the total loss of the bow section and cargo.