An unladen MSC containership is under tow to Singapore after an engine room fire left the ship disabled and one crew member dead in the Indian Ocean.
The Liberian-flagged MSC Messina was en route from Colombo to Singapore when it reported a fire in the engine room on June 25th about 425 nautical miles from Port Blair, India, the Indian Coast Guard reports. The ship has 28 crew members. One crew member was initially reported missing, but an update from the Indian Coast Guard indicated one casualty on board.
The ship has been taken under tow by the tug Vigour en route to Singapore.
The fire on board is out and the ship is in stable condition, an update from the Indian Coast Guard said on Sunday. The ICGS Vishwast remained in the vicinity to provide support.
The 300-meter-long MSC Messina was built in 1995 and is registered in Liberia, according to MSC’s website. The ship has a TEU capacity of 4,809. Photos of the vessel show there is no cargo on board.
AIS data shows the ship departed Colombo, Sri Lanka on June 23.