Fire Aboard Espirito Santo Express Brought Under Control

The fire that broke out aboard the container ship Espirito Santo Express more than two weeks ago has been brought under control, according to shipowner Seaspan, though most of the cargo onboard is expected to be severely damaged or a total loss. Hapag-Lloyd and Ocean Network Express, both of which had cargo on the vessel, issued customer advisories citing information from Seaspan that the majority of containers were likely destroyed or badly damaged by the blaze. MSC was also reported to have had containers aboard the ship. Hapag-Lloyd said the fire is now under control but that it will take considerable time to bring the vessel to a port of refuge and carry out a detailed damage assessment. The Seaspan-owned Espirito Santo Express suffered the fire on 15 October while sailing through the Atlantic on a voyage from Singapore to the Port of Santos, Brazil. The cause has not been determined, and it remains unclear whether the fire originated in the cargo hold or the engine room, though the extensive damage to cargo suggests it may have started within the containers themselves. Container fires linked to cargo remain a significant safety concern for the shipping industry, often tied to mis-declared shipments or to lithium-ion batteries, which are not currently classified as dangerous goods despite their fire risk.