The triple-E class ultra-large ship reported a fire while sailing off the coast of Liberia.
by Blue Africa News
On August 13, 2025, Danish shipping giant Maersk’s ultra-large “Marie Maersk” container ship caught fire while transiting West Africa, with the crew reported safe and the blaze contained.
The triple-E class ultra-large vessel with a capacity of 19,076 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), reported the fire while sailing off the coast of Liberia.
“On the morning of 13 August 2025, the crew of the Marie Maersk detected smoke coming from containers onboard the vessel enroute from Rotterdam, the Netherlands to Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia,” a Maersk statement reads.
The ship’s firefighting systems, Maersk said, were immediately activated with the crew working hard to bring the situation under control.
Further details indicate that the vessel operated under the Gemini Cooperation Asia–Europe service, jointly run by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd and was serving the NE4 string with trip code 530E.
No explosions or secondary incidents were reported.
“We remain in constant contact with the crew and are providing all possible support. We cannot confirm the extent of the fire’s impact on the cargo yet,” the statement added.
This incident highlights ongoing maritime safety risks along key global routes..
Within a span of three days in June, two fires on board container ships were reported off the coast of Kerala, India.
In the first incident, vessel Wan Hai 503 caught fire due to an explosion of one of the containers. 18 seafarers onboard were rescued.
Three days later, vessel Interasia Tenacity reported a fire. No major damage or casualties were reported following assistance from the Indian Coast Guard.
According to a Safety and Shipping Review 2025 report by Allianz Commercial and released in May, 2025, fire is the third main cause of total vessel write-offs worldwide.
“Beyond the risk to life, fires can lead to significant operational setbacks through vessel downtime, repair expenses, and catastrophic operational costs. It’s also the most expensive cause of marine insurance claims,” the report reads in part.
The report noted that engine room fires are among the most common and dangerous on vessels, majorly resulting from fuel and oil leaks.
The report suggested regular maintenance and inspection of engines, fuel lines and electrical systems, besides implementing a strict cleanliness regime to remove oil spills and ensuring proper ventilation as some of the measures to prevent against ships in transit reporting fire incidents.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News