The Maersk container ship that was ravaged by a fire which broke out onboard the vessel has been scheduled for repairs.
What happened?
The ultra large container ship ‘Maersk Honam’ was damaged after a major fire broke out on board the vessel in March, 2018.
During an initial assessment carried out by the concerned authorities, all the hotspots that were identified onboard the vessel have been extinguished and the vessel is currently anchored outside the Jebel Ali Port, UAE.
Scheduled for repairs
Maersk has taken a decision to repair its ultra large container ship after an initial assessment was carried out to determine the ship’s condition.
A Maersk Line spokesperson said, “As things stand it is our intention to repair the vessel”. The decision is being announced based on the initial assessment of the ship’s condition now that the remaining hotspots on board have finally been extinguished.
He further added, “The process of discharging the fire-fighting water from the vessel is currently ongoing and is expected to be completed soon. We expect the vessel to move from the anchorage to the terminal on May 27, 2018. Once alongside in the terminal, discharge operations will commence. The discharge operations are estimated to last approx. four to seven days, all going well. The condition of the vessel will be further evaluated after berthing”.
Berthing operations affected
The berthing and discharging operations of the fire-ravaged boxship are expected to result in high extraordinary costs, as confirmed by Maersk Line.
The company has declared General Average, under which all parties with a financial interest in the voyage are to proportionally share the losses resulting from the incident.
Following completion of the discharging operations, the containers identified as potentially damaged will undergo an inspection at Jebel Ali and relevant customers will be invited to be represented at a joint inspection, according to Maersk Line’s 2M partner MSC.
Containers that are identified as sound will be loaded at first opportunity to reach their final destination. In the event of a damage identified after delivery, joint inspections can be arranged, MSC added. The cause of the fire that claimed the lives of five crew members is yet to be determined and an investigation by the relevant authorities is underway.
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Source: World Maritime News
