Suspected battery blaze on cargo ship put out
Media reports have confirmed that a Christmas Day fire onboard a 125m cargo ship that had burned ‘for days’ has been put out – with suggestions that the blaze had been caused by lithium-ion batteries.
None of the 19 crew members on board the Genius Star XI was injured during the blaze, which was put out by a team of marine firefighters from T&T Salvage and Resolve Marine. They released carbon dioxide into the hold and sealed it over concerns of an explosion.
Their assessment of the vessel’s condition was that there was no major structural damage to the vessel ‘or blistering outside of the compartment’.
The vessel was sailing from Vietnam to San Diego with a load of lithium-ion batteries on board, the US Coast Guard in Alaska said.
When it arrived at Anchorage, the captain on Genius Star XI was asked to remain two miles offshore and a one-mile safety zone was enforced around the vessel.
“A top priority is the safety of the crew members and responders aboard Genius Star XI, the safety of the community in Alaska, and mitigating any potential environmental impact,” said Rear Admiral Megan Dean, Commander of the 17th Coast Guard District. “The Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Gallagher Marine Systems, T&T Salvage, and the State of Alaska are working in a Unified Command to respond safely and swiftly. The Unified Command is also working closely with Alaska city officials to address local concerns and keep the community informed of response efforts.”
The cause of the fire on the vessel, which is owned by Wisdom Marine Group, has not officially been confirmed.
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