On the 4th of Jan 2019, we reported that there was a fire on board the Yantian Express.. Here is an update on the current situation on the ship..
Hapag Lloyd has updated that the fire broke out in one container on the deck of the Yantian Express and
spread to additional containers..
But due to the persistent bad weather affecting firefighting efforts, the fire has not been successfully contained yet and has significantly increased in intensity at times..
As per the reports, despite the ongoing firefighting support from the salvage tug “Smit Nicobar”, the fire has not been extinguished yet..
In order to ensure the safety of the crew, Hapag Lloyd has made a decision to evacuate the crew they were all safely transferred to the “Smit Nicobar” on 5 and 6 January.. All crew are unharmed..
The line is monitoring further developments on the Yantian Express closely, and the firefighting efforts with the salvage tug are continuing..
They have advised that at the current moment, it is not possible to make a precise estimate of any damage to Yantian Express or its cargo..
At present, the ship is approximately 800 nautical miles off the coast of Canada (Nova Scotia) on its way to its original destination of Halifax via Suez Canal from Colombo..
