MSC Messina has suffered an engine room fire on 25 June, according to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), which reported that in the early hours on 25 June, the 4,743TEU vessel issued a Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre (MRCC) notice as a distress ship when the engine room caught fire.
According to reports, the 1995-built boxship has been disabled and one seafarer from an overall of 28 crew members is missing.
“Crew members flooded CO2 to control the fire and understand it’s under control at this moment, but still smoke coming out,” said SLPA in its announcement on 25 June.
The Liberia-flagged MSC Messina was sailing 480 nautical miles away from Hambantota, Southern Sri Lankan coast, at the time of the fire incident.
According to reports, the Panama-flagged, 14,000TEU container ship, MSC Deila was sailing in vicinity and is standing by to assist, while a salvage tug has reached near the distressed ship.
MSC Messina was arrived in Colombo on 22 June and departed from the port the next day. The vessel discharged almost all of its cargo (2,000 containers) at the Port of Colombo, according to the SLPA statement, and there were only 38 boxes onboard for discharge in Singapore.
SLPA added that according to the informed sources, the owners of the ship are likely to decide to tow the ship to Singapore.
Container News has contacted Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) but at the time of writing there has been no response.
