MSC Shannon reported a ‘potentially dangerous’ engine room fire to the Finnish Coast Guard close to 2am on Sunday, 7 November.
The authorities acted swiftly and implemented large-scale emergency rescue efforts in response. No injuries have been reported on board.
The distress call was made when the Panamanian-flagged boxship with 24 crew members was in international waters, about 11 nautical miles south of Jussarö, an island located at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland. The location came under the jurisdiction of the Finnish maritime rescue area.
The Finnish Coast Guard immediately dispatched two patrol boats Turva and Uisko along with two rescue helicopters in response to the distress call. It was later reported the crew of MSC Shannon had managed to extinguish the fire without any assistance.
Fire in the engine room of MSC Shannon brought under control in Gulf of Finland https://t.co/aZiBfj4y8m
— Mike Schuler (@MikeSchuler) November 7, 2021
The 240-meter long container vessel MSC Shannon was en route to Le Havre in France from St. Petersburg in Russia and was carrying 1,283 tonnes of containerised cargo when it sustained the fire. The cargo also included flammable liquids, oxidisers, and other toxic substances which prompted the large-scale emergency response.
The Finnish Coast Guard also conducted an overflight with a maritime patrol aircraft layer on Sunday morning at about 08:00 hours. The aircraft reported no signs of an oil leak, other forms of pollution, or damage to cargo.
According to the latest reports, the ship later was towed and anchored off Sommaro, Finland on Sunday evening along with two coast guard patrol ships at standby as a precautionary measure.
MSC Shannon, the boxship built-in 1991, has earlier been reported for having Port State Control (PSC) deficiencies. It had also been under three-day detention at Le Havre last year because of non-compliance to standard firefighting protocols.
According to Janne Ryönänkoski, a rescue official for the Helsinki region, the crew is likely to first attempt repairs and resume the voyage but the shipowner is also in talks with authorities to arrange an emergency tow procedure if it is needed.
Ankur Kundu
Correspondent
