Fire hits Maersk ship involved in collision with another containership off Ningbo

Maersk Line containership Safmarine Meru and another containership Northern Jasper, owned by German company Norddeutsche Reederei, collided off Ningbo on Saturday.

The collision caused a fire on Safmarine Meru, which was en route from Qingdao to Ningbo, leading to all 22 crewmembers onboard abandoning the ship.

The local maritime safety department deployed a fleet of ten vessels for firefighting and rescue operations, managing to put out the fire and evacuate the crew from both ships. The department also made emergency plans for the 11 containers carrying hazardous cargo on the Maersk ship.

Both ships are afloat and anchored while authorities begin investigations into the incident.

When contacted by Splash, an official at Maersk China said the damage assessment work is ongoing without giving more information.