THE 5,700-TEU 2001-built ER Kobe that suffered a fire when three containers on deck loaded with charcoal caught fire while the boxship was heading from Haiphong to Qingdao and later became engulfed in flames again.
It is believed that the fire first broke out in the containers on the upper deck on February 14. The vessel was re-directed to Hong Kong, where the fire was thought to be extinguished but restarted on February 24.
The crew were reported to have reacted quickly to bring the fire under control and all the containers were safely unloaded in Hong Kong under the close supervision of a salvage company, local authorities and fire experts.
The ship then continued its journey to Qingdao, but a further three containers caught on fire while approaching the port of Shanghai. Again, the fire was extinguished by the crew, reported Kiev's Maritime Bulletin.
The ER Kobe is now at the Luhuashan anchorage where all remaining 43 containers loaded with charcoal have been safely discharged. The vessel was then shifted from Yuanyuansha anchorage to Waigaqiao terminal.
A detailed investigation of the cargo damage and the claims handling is ongoing. All actions are being taken in coordination with charterer, agents, P&I and port authorities.
ER Kobe is expected to later continue on her way with an adjusted schedule. She is under the management of manager ER Schiffahrt GmbH & Cie KG and deployed on the ICC service on a rotation of: China, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and back to Sri Lanka.
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