Hapag-Lloyd and Ocean Network Express (ONE) have warned their customers that most of the cargo on the Espirito Santo Express tanker, which was damaged by a fire, is likely to be severely damaged or completely lost. This news comes more than two weeks after the fire occurred on this tanker in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Status of the Cargo and Rescue Efforts
In separate statements, both shipping companies announced that they have received information from the tanker owner, Seaspan, indicating that most of the cargo may not be recoverable. Hapag-Lloyd, in its latest update, stated: "Based on the latest information received from the tanker owner Seaspan, we expect that the vast majority of the cargo has been severely damaged or completely lost due to the fire."
The fire is currently under control, but the tanker has not yet reached a safe port where the extent of the damage can be fully assessed. Hapag-Lloyd has warned that transferring the ship to a safe location and inspecting the cargo will be time-consuming.
Details of the Fire
The Espirito Santo Express tanker, with a capacity of 11,800 TEU, flying the Singapore flag and built in 2018, caught fire on October 15 while en route from Singapore to Santos, Brazil. According to a statement from Seaspan on October 22, smoke and then flames were observed from cargo in a forward section of the ship.
All 28 crew members abandoned the ship due to the fire and were rescued by a cargo ship flying the Portuguese flag named Aeolian Arrow. However, this rescue was marred by a tragic incident; when the chief officer of the cargo ship fell into the sea and went missing while returning the lifeboat to the ship.
Firefighting and rescue operations continued in the following days. Despite this, Hapag-Lloyd has recently stated that there is still no precise information on the extent of the damage and the status of the cargo, and a complete assessment will not be possible until the ship reaches a safe port.
Investigations into the cause of the fire are still ongoing, and neither of the shipping companies has provided a specific timeline for the ship's arrival at port.
