MSC Capetown III on fire while berthed at the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) in Colombo, Sri Lanka

According to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) a fire started yesterday onboard the 2006 built container vessel MSC Capetown III, while she was berthed at the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) in Colombo.

The MSC Capetown III is part of the MSC's East Africa Service, and operates between Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Kenya and Tanzania. She can carry 2824 TEUs and she arrived at anchorage for the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) 10th of August 2024.

The vessel berthed at the terminal showed no prior signs of fire. However, during operations, the port team identified a location onboard the vessel from which the smoke came from, leading to the explosion. "Our firefighters, led by the Harbour Master in collaboration with other port services, acted swiftly to extinguish the fire and safely removed the affected cargo”, says the SLPA’s Director of Port Operations, H.J.K.U. Kumara.

No one was injured during or after the fire broke out onboard the vessel. He further added, “Our timely and decisive actions prevented what could have been a catastrophic event. Investigations into the cause of the fire and the status of the cargo are ongoing.”