Missing Seafarer Reported as Fire Rages on Maersk Frankfurt

The firefight aboard the Maersk Frankfurt has entered its second day, with the Indian Coast Guard providing ongoing assistance to the vessel. The containership is currently stopped about 6.5 nautical miles south of Karwar, India, in the Arabian Sea, and approximately 100 nautical miles north of Goa. Reports from the Indian media suggest that one seafarer from the Philippines is missing and presumed dead, with the fire believed to have been caused by an electrical short circuit. The crew reportedly called for help on Friday, July 19, after failing to contain the blaze.

Despite more than 12 hours of firefighting efforts, the fire onboard the Maersk Frankfurt had not spread to other areas of the vessel as of early Saturday, July 20. The containership, which was recently delivered to its Japanese owners and is operating under charter to Maersk, has a capacity for 5,920 TEU. However, images show that the vessel is not fully loaded. The Indian Coast Guard later reported that the fire midship had reignited, prompting additional resources to be deployed, including a helicopter dropping fire suppressant in an attempt to control the blaze.

Three Coast Guard vessels are currently alongside the Maersk Frankfurt, spraying water on the vessel and assessing the situation. Despite carrying dangerous cargo, there have been no indications of the specific types of cargo onboard. Media reports have mentioned explosions originating from the area of the fire. Container fires remain a persistent issue in the industry, prompting initiatives like the Cargo Fire & Loss Innovation Initiative to evaluate new fire detection technologies for potential deployment on containerships. The Maersk Frankfurt, a 76,500 dwt vessel delivered in May 2024, was en route from Mundra, India, to Sri Lanka at the time of the incident.

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