A fire has erupted aboard a Panama-flagged MSC containership in the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), leaving one injured.
The incident occurred on 6 June.
The National Search and Rescue Center (NSRC) of the UAE reported that one crew member sustained burns and had to be airlifted to a hospital for treatment.
NSRC UAE released a video that suggests the fire originated either in the aft containers bay or the superstructure in the engine room.
نفذ المركز الوطني للبحث والانقاذ التابع للحرس الوطني يوم الثلاثاء الموافق 6 يونيو 2023 مهمة إخلاء طبي لمصاب أثناء احتراق سفينة تابعة لجمهورية بنما في المياة الإقليمية التابعة لدولة الامارات.
— NSRCUAE – NGC (@NSRCUAE) June 7, 2023
تم إخلاء المصاب بطائرة المركز إلى مدينة الشيخ شخبوط الطبية لتلقي العلاج اللازم. pic.twitter.com/VvY9vLYtNK
The identity of the vessel has not been officially disclosed. However, available data points to the possibility of it being MSC Rita.
The ship in question had arrived from Mogadishu and was initially berthed in Dubai before being moved to Khalifa within a span of three hours.
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The NSRCUAE promptly responded to the distress call and deployed three tugs to assist in extinguishing the fire.
An helicopter conducted an emergency evacuation, transporting the crew member with severe burns to a nearby hospital.
The exact condition of the crew member remains undisclosed.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire, and further updates are awaited.
