China’s maritime body urges greater oversight after several boxship fires

In light of recent explosions and fires on the container ships Northern Juvenile, Maersk Frankfurt, and YM Mobility, China’s Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) has called on liner operators to exercise more supervision on carrying dangerous goods.

MSA said, “Shipping lines must deeply learn the lessons of the accidents, draw inferences from the cases and resolve to prevent such accidents from happening again.”

On 26 May, a fire broke out in the cargo hold of the 2009-built, 8,814 TEU Northern Juvenile that was operated by CMA CGM on its Asia-West Africa service. The ship was 600 nautical miles from Malaysia’s Port Klang at the time and is now undergoing repairs. General average was declared by ship’s owner, Norddeutsche Reederei.

Similarly, Tokei Kaiun, the Japanese owner of the newly built 5,500 TEU Maersk Frankfurt, which was chartered to Maersk Line, declared GA after an explosion on the ship on its maiden voyage off Goa, India, on 19 July. One seafarer was killed in the incident.

MSA’s advisory was issued shortly after an explosion on Yang Ming’s 2011-built, 6,589 TEU YM Mobility on 9 August in China’s Ningbo port, which is the world’s third-busiest container port.

The administration stressed that ship operators must remember that lives are at stake and safety must always come first.

Just days after the YM Mobility incident, an explosion occurred in the lower deck of MSC Capetown III, a 2006-built 2,824 TEU ship owned by MSC, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Except for the death on Maersk Frankfurt, there were no fatalities or injuries in the other incidents.

MSA said, “Operators must fully recognise the severe and complex situation relating to dangerous goods transported on board ships, especially during the summer. Eliminate the mentality of luck, and strengthen the monitoring and rectification of hidden dangers in the transportation of dangerous goods. The safety awareness and sense of responsibility of crew members must be enhanced.”

Source: Container-News

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