Another fire broke out aboard a container ship this month, which resulted in the vessel ‘TSS Pearl’ sinking in the Red Sea just off Saudi Arabia.

The ship’s crew issued a “MAYDAY” distress call, confirming they had a fire onboard, before the ship was evacuated and all 25 crew members taken safely to the Saudi port of Jizan.

The vessel is then believed to have drifted, with the fire still raging, until it eventually sank in the Red Sea between Saudi Arabia and Sudan. Several floating containers were witnessed at the site of the sinking.

Fires on containerships have become all too commonplace over recent years, with many being attributed to misdeclarations of dangerous goods aboard. The industry continues to work on procedures and legislation to clamp down on these incidents and bring in tougher measures for offenders.

Evolution Forwarding specialise in dangerous goods movements, by air, ocean and road. We provide complete solutions for packing, documentation, compliance and training for dangerous goods products, including lithium batteries. For further information please email info@evolutionforwarding.com or call 0800 4346244.