Fire Aboard Maersk Vessel is Contained

Danish shipping company Maersk said on Monday that a fire that broke out onboard the vessel Marie Maersk off Liberia on Wednesday last week had stopped spreading, and that firefighting efforts would be intensified further.

"Over the weekend, the crew's ongoing firefighting has stopped the fire onboard from spreading further," Maersk said in an emailed statement.

"We expect firefighting efforts to intensify further once the external firefighters can board Marie Maersk and bring further relief to the Marie Maersk crew," it said.

Maersk said that the crew onboard was safe, and that the vessel will be brought to a port of refuge. The company said it could not comment on the impact of the fire to the cargo.

(Reuters)