MARIE MAEUM7

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Container ship assisted by several tugs

The 'Marie Maersk' was still destined towards Tanjung Pelapas, assisted by the tugs 'Med Rigel' (IMO: 1048530) 'Captain Cat' (IMO: 1048528), and 'SL Loire' (IMO: 9190494), and the fire fighting offshore vessel 'Troms Hera' (IMO: 9732967). The status of 'restricted manoeverability' and a speed of 0,8 knots in pos. 04° 08' N 010° 35' W, suggested it was adrift as of Aug 18 with an ETA given as of Sep 6. While the ship was operating the AE4 service under the Gemini Cooperation, smoke was detected emanating from containers stowed on deck early on Aug 13. According to Maersk, the crew had responded swiftly, activating the onboard firefighting systems. All personnel were reported safe. The 'Captain Cat' and 'Med Rigel' had arrived on scene late on Aug 13, joining efforts coordinated by Dutch salvage firm SMIT, which has deployed additional resources to assist.The plan was for external firefighters to board the 'MArie Mersk' on Aug 18 and assist. It is not yet known whether they will be flown in or brought aboard by ship. Meanwhile, the 'Marie Maersk' has been diverted to receive shore support as quickly as possible. The port of call was not yet known. There was not yet an estimate about the extent of the fire's impact on the cargo.

Crew and support managed to contain fire

The crew of the 'Marie Maersk', which was operating on the Gemini Cooperation’s Asia–Europe AE4 service. managed to contain the fire which was noticed on the morning of Aug 13, when smoke was detected coming from containers. The crew immediately began firefighting and managed to keep the situation under control. Over the weekend of Aug 16/17, the crew’s continuous firefighting stopped the blaze from spreading. The five external assets, besides the already mentioned vessels meanwhile also the 'Setareh' (IMO: 9768071 ), supported the operation. Firefighting efforts were expected to intensify once external firefighters have boarded the 'Marie Maersk' to take over part of the operation, giving some relief to the ship’s crew. The vessel was to be diverted to a port of refuge, which was still being considered, so that landside support can be secured quickly. The Maersk Crisis Response Team was in constant contact with the crew to provide guidance and assistance. For now, the impact on the cargo remained uncertain. Due to the conditions inside the affected cargo bays, it was not yet possible to confirm the extent of the damage. The contents of the affected containers will only be investigated once the fire has been fully extinguished. As of Aug 20, the ship was in pos. 04° 23' N 010° 31' W.

Fire off Liberia

A fire broke out aboard the 'Marie Maersk', enroute from Rotterdam to Tanjung Pelabas, near Liberia, off the coast of West Africa, on Aug 13, 2025. The vessel was now headed to Liberia for land-based firefighting efforts. The crew had detected smoke coming from containers on the deck of the vessel. The ship’s firefighting measures were immediately deployed. The condition of the vessel was reported to be largely stable, and all crew members were safe. SMIT Salvage has dispatched two firefighting tugs, the 'Captain Cat' and 'Med Rigel', to assist the vessel. The propulsion, steering, and navigational systems were unaffected.