This incident was recorded on Friday, August 9, causing a major shock to the port of Ningbo-Zhoushan in China, when a powerful explosion on container ship YM Mobility, while docked at the quay, caused a huge fireball. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported, and all crew members have been safely evacuated.
A large explosion on a container ship
The vessel is operated by the company Yang Ming, the YM Mobility covers the route between the Far East and the Middle East(CGX). At the moment, the exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation, although preliminary investigations indicate that the origin of the incident was a container carrying dangerous goods. This container had been reused as a dry container, without the need for electrical connection, which could have contributed to the accident.
Emergency measures were immediately taken to contain the fire, and the situation is now under control, the company said. All crew members were evacuated unharmed, and Huan Ming (Shanghai) International Shipping Agency, a subsidiary of Yang Ming Group, is working with local authorities to manage the crisis caused by the incident.
The port of Ningbo-Zhoushan is China’s second busiest port in terms of container traffic, second only to the port of Shanghai, and handles more than 100,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) daily.
Despite the seriousness of the incident, Peter Sand, chief analyst at Xeneta, does not anticipate a market impact. Sand noted that Ningbo-Zhoushan is a major port in the Far East, and while the explosion is concerning from a security perspective, its effect on global trade should be limited. Nonetheless, this event once again highlights security concerns in the container shipping.
An explosion of a cargo ship in port in China. Source: South China Morning Post
“This type of incident should never happen, and is yet another example of how a failure in the shipping chain can have devastating consequences. Had the explosion occurred offshore instead of in port, the risk to the crew and the vessel would have been much greater.”
Peter Sand, chief analyst at Xeneta.
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Source: AP News
Photo: SCMP
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