An explosion occurred aboard the vessel as cargo was being discharged. where the fire was reported to have taken place under deck in the fifth hold of the ship

The industry is working on new tools, including the use of AI, to help identify dangerous cargoes. 

Three men have died, and three others were critically injured after a fire started on a container ship. the incident occurred  on the vessel docked at the Malaysian Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Johor state.
State Fire and Rescue Department operations commander Mohamad Anuar Mohamad Amdzah said that the emergency was reported onboard the MSC Kyparissia.  sailing under the flag of Malta.at 12:33 pm on November 7, 2025.

It is noteworthy that a fire aboard a containership alongside in Malaysia’s Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) was fatal, killing three and injuring three more .This fire comes after another fire was detected in one of its cargo holds while sailing from Charleston to Cartagena, Colombia, on November 5.

The container vessel (IMO 9618599, MMSI 229649000) (70,461 dwt), owned and managed by Costamare and under time charter to Maersk, was alongside in PTP on Friday. November 7, when a fire was reported at midday. At first, the port’s fireboats were fighting the blaze and were later assisted by teams from the State Fire and Rescue Department.

The fire was under deck in the fifth hold of the ship

A spokesperson for Maersk confirmed the tragic incident, reporting that an explosion occurred aboard the vessel as cargo was being discharged. The subsequent fire was reported to have taken place under deck in the fifth hold of the ship, which has a capacity of 4,957 TEU. The ship is operating on a route that includes Onne, Nigeria, Cotonou, Benin, and Singapore.

Related : Investigation into smoke emanating from the cargo hold of the Maersk containership En Route To Colombia

Maersk confirmed that three people, including one crewmember, had lost their lives. Malaysian officials identified the three as a 59-year-old Malaysian, a man from the Philippines, and another from Britain. Three others, a Malaysian and two Filipinos, were injured and are hospitalized.

The fire’s impact on the vessel and cargo aboard

“At this stage, we are unable to determine the full extent of the fire’s impact on the vessel and cargo aboard. We are working closely with PTP, authorities, the vessel owner, and ship manager to manage the situation and will provide updates as more information becomes available,” said Maersk.

Box fires and the dangers from poorly packed cargoes

Box fires and the dangers from poorly packed cargoes or incorrectly identified cargo remain a major concern for the industry. In mid-August, Maersk reported a container fire aboard another one of its vessels, Marie Maersk, off the coast of West Africa. The firefighting efforts took more than a week, but with specialized crew and equipment sent to the ship, they were able to control the situation, and the ship was able to proceed to Malaysia. 

 Allianz’s Safety and Shipping Review 2025.

Wan Hai also recently reported that it is still working on salvage after a fire destroyed one of its vessels off India. That tragic incident caused the death of four crewmembers. Ship fires are at their highest level in over a decade, according to Allianz’s Safety and Shipping Review 2025. Misdeclared dangerous goods are a leading cause of ship fires, reported as responsible for more than a quarter of all cargo-related incidents.

The use of AI, to help identify dangerous cargoes

The industry is working on new tools, including the use of AI, to help identify dangerous cargoes. Insurer Allianz Commercial, in a 2025 report, called container fires one of the major dangers and said misdeclared cargo is still the leading cause of fires. where an explained, the program combines AI-powered cargo screening and common inspection standards to identify misdeclared and undeclared high-risk shipments before they are loaded.

Source : Maritime Executive + other sources

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