Containership on fire in Hamburg Port
Fire has broken out onboard a containership in Hamburg Port, prompting a response from around 150 firefighters, reports say.
The blaze is onboard the post-panamax CCNI Arauco (9,030 dwt, built 2015), which is owned by Germany’s NSC Schifffahrtsgesellschaft and has been evacuated. All crew have been accounted for.
A spokesman for the Hamburg fire brigade told press in Germany the fire is likely to have started during welding work.
Crew onboard the vessel initially tried to extinguish the fire themselves. Two people were reportedly slightly injured and were taken to hospital by emergency services.
Fighting boats and tugs are pumping water from the River Elbe, but efforts to extinguish the fire are “slow going”, according to German press reports.
Authorities in Hamburg have reportedly warned people in the nearby city centre to close their windows.