On July 13, the 177 meter long, 23,559 dwt container ship Viking Merlin caught fire while berthed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The fire started by one of the diesel generators in the vessel’s engine room. The crew evacuated the compartment and the blaze was extinguished by the on board fire suppression system. No reports of injuries. Reports state damage was minimal, but the vessel was detained until repairs were completed.
The 200 meter long, 29,277 dwt container ship Kamala caught fire in the East China Sea between Kuchinoshima Island, Japan and Chedju do, Korea. The fire erupted in the cargo hold while the vessel was en route from Surabaya to Ulsan. The vessel requested assistance with the Japanese Coast Guard responding. Reports state the boxship was carrying 796 containers and the crew was unable to extinguish the blaze. No injuries to the 23 crew on board.
The 68 meter long, 1590 dwt container ship Sinaran Andaman ran ashore off Hey Island, Phuket, Thailand. The boxship was en route to Myanmar from Penang when it was struck by a strong monsoon with waves reaching four meters. The storm blew the boxship onto the rocky shore. The Sinaran Andaman hull was torn open and the vessel settled, but the deck cargo of containers floated off the deck. Many of the containers smashed against the shoreline just a short distance away. Three of the 10 crew on board were hoisted to safety by two Thailand Navy helicopters with the remainder rescued by a patrol vessel. Reports state some of the crew sustained injuries and taken to hospital for treatment.
