Containership disabled off Portugal following engine room fire

A Danish-flagged containership has lost power and gone adrift off Portugal’s southern coast after a fire broke out in its engine room on Saturday, December 26.

Owned by Japan’s Financial Products Group, the 13,092TEU Maersk Elba had earlier departed Colombo, Sri Lanka, and was sailing for Felixstowe in the UK when the incident occurred on the morning (local time) of Saturday.

Portuguese authorities said the crew were able to successfully extinguish the blaze and that no injuries have been reported.

A number of tugs, pollution response boats, and a Portuguese Navy patrol ship have been despatched to the area to render assistance to the stricken containership, which is currently anchored two nautical miles off the Port of Sagres and undergoing repairs.