Container explodes at Ningbo Zhoushan Port

(12/08/2024) Update: Yang Ming has confirmed on August 9 that there was no visible flames on board YM Mobility and cooling efforts with water sprays were ongoing to tackle the fire.

All crew members are on-site personnel were found safe and sound but the exact cause of the incident is to be clarified under professional assessment.

In a statement, the Taiwenese carrier noted: “To ensure the safety of the vessel and expedite further response, six tugboats have been dispatched for safeguarding. Representatives from P&I Clubs, Classification Societies, and surveyors have been arriving on-site to coordinate with the authorities.

“Yang Ming’s technical personnel are providing 24/7 on-site support to assess the impact of the fire and the seaworthiness of YM Mobility.”

A dangerous goods container onboard a cargo ship docked at Ningbo Zhoushan Port has exploded.

According to a situation report issued by the Ningbo Maritime Search and Rescue Center office, the container was loaded on the Taiwanese container ship YM Mobility, operated by Yang Ming, moored at the Beilun Port area.

The blast happened at about 1:50pm local time, and no casualties have been reported so far.

The Ningbo Maritime Search and Rescue Center has activated the emergency plan and has assigned three tugboats and shore-based firefighting forces to carry out emergency response.

News outlets on Weibo.com reported that the box contained a type of organic peroxide and was rated with a hazard class of 5.2 which means it must be kept refrigerated or risk combustion.

According to the reports on Weibo.com, a shipping person revealed to reporters that the cargo was not plugged in during the transhipment process, although was loaded at a constant temperature.

Recent hot weather in Ningbo has been considered as a potential contributing factor, however the cause has yet to be investigated.

Speaking on the incident, Xeneta Chief Analyst Peter Sand said: “This type of incident should never happen and is another example of how one failure in ocean container shipping can have catastrophic consequences.

“Had this explosion happened at sea rather than at berth in port then the crew and ship would have been in even more perilous danger.”

He added: “An investigation will take place and the industry must learn from it. Container ships are used to transport hazardous and potentially explosive cargo, so it is of paramount importance that robust safety measures are in place.”

Sand does not believe the explosion will have a significant impact on the market, adding: “Ningbo-Zhoushan is a hugely important and well-connected port in the Far East, second only to Shanghai in China and on par with Singapore.

“It is a critical hub for container shipping and this incident is deeply concerning from a safety perspective, but it is unlikely it will have a significant impact on the market.”