Fire Breaks Out on Containership in Port of Colombo

A fire broke out on board a Madeira-registered containership moored at the Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka.

The MSC Capetown III was berthed at Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) on Sunday when the fire erupted and eventually escalated to an explosion, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) said. 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. 

All operations staff and crews were safely evacuated from the ship, and emergency personnel quickly responded to battle the blaze and extinguished the fire.

SLPA’s director of port operations, H.J.K.U. Kumara, said, "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."

He added, "Our timely and decisive actions prevented what could have been a catastrophic event. Investigations into the cause of the fire and the status of the cargo are ongoing."

The 18-year-old vessel, which is part of the East Africa Service or South Asia – East Africa Service (DAR ES SALAM SERVICE), arrived at JCT from Singapore in the early hours of August 11 and was discharging 995 boxes and loading 880 boxes at the time of the incident. The vessel was also carrying 596 through cargo containers (out-port containers)

Fires on board containerships are a significant safety hazard, often caused by the improper stowage of hazardous materials, leading to difficult-to-control blazes that can result in loss of life, cargo and severe damage to the vessel. These fires are often challenging to extinguish due to the ship's vast size, the dense packing of containers and limited firefighting resources at sea.

SLPA did not reveal a cause of the incident but said it will continue to monitor the situation closely as investigations proceed.

The Port of Colombo is a key maritime hub in South Asia with significant recent increases in domestic and transshipment volumes. The port was recognized as the best-performing port globally for Q1 2024 by Alphaliner, driven by a 23.6% growth rate.

(Photo: Sri Lanka Ports Authority)