A container ship chartered by Hapag-Lloyd has been left drifting in the Atlantic Ocean after an explosion and fire forced its crew to abandon the vessel during a voyage from Singapore to Santos, Brazil.
The Espirito Santos Express, which sails under the Singapore flag, was reportedly involved in the incident while crossing the Atlantic. The vessel is owned and managed by Seaspan and was built in 2018.
Hapag-Lloyd confirmed the fire in a customer advisory issued on 16 October. The German shipping company said it had been informed of the incident by Seaspan, the vessel’s head owner, and remained in close contact with the company. Seaspan confirmed that all crew members were safe and accounted for.
Following a distress call, nearby vessels reportedly responded to assist. The crew subsequently abandoned the Espirito Santos Express, which is now adrift in the Atlantic.
The circumstances surrounding the explosion and fire remain unclear. It has not yet been established whether the incident originated in the vessel’s cargo or in its engine room.
The potential consequences for shipments aboard the vessel are also being assessed. In a customer advisory dated 19 October, Ocean Network Express (ONE), which had cargo on board, said the extent of the incident and its possible implications for vessel operations and the cargo remained under review by the relevant authorities and specialist teams.
Several shipping and logistics companies have cargo interests linked to the vessel. In addition to Hapag-Lloyd and ONE, APL Logistics reported that MSC also had cargo aboard the ship.
With the vessel still adrift, the assessment of the damage, the cause of the incident and the potential impact on the cargo remains ongoing. Further details have yet to be established.
