Video: MSC Containership on Fire in Persian Gulf Near UAE
The National Search and Rescue Center of the National Guard from the United Arab Emirates is reporting that it assisted an MSC containership (registered in Panama) that was experiencing a fire while in their territorial waters. Few details have been released other than a brief video posted by the NSRCUAE on social media.
According to the report, the unnamed MSC vessel had requested assistance and three tugs were working to help extinguish the fire which appears from the video to be in the stern of the ship. It is not known if it is a container fire.
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— NSRCUAE - NGC (@NSRCUAE) June 7, 2023
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The NSRCUAE reports that their helicopter evacuated a crewmember who is believed to have suffered severe burns. The report only indicated that the crewmember was taken to a hospital to receive “necessary treatment.”
Several MSC containerships are in the region and specifically the Khalifa Anchorage where the fire is believed to be taking place. The website Salvage and Wreck is identifying the vessel as the MSC Rita. AIS data shows that the MSC Rita had arrived in the region from West Africa. If it is the correct vessel, it has been in the UAE since June 4.
The MSC Rita is an 18-year-old containership. It is 104,850 dwt with a length of 1,065 feet. It has a carrying capacity of 8,034 TEU.