Two killed in containership fire at Port of Houston

Two people were killed while a third suffered burn injuries after a fire ignited on a container vessel at the Port of Houston in Texas on Monday, January 8.

The Panamanian-flagged Stride was berthed at the Barbours Cut Container Terminal when the blaze ignited in an undisclosed portion of the ship during the early morning (local time) of Monday.

Port Houston confirmed via social media that the fire has since been extinguished and that there is no threat to the surrounding community. Tragically, however, two of the vessel’s crew perished and a third individual needed to be airlifted to hospital.

The Port Houston Fire Department will monitor the vessel for at least 24 hours.

The Harris County Fire Marshall and medical examiners have arrived on the scene and have begun conducting their own investigations into the incident alongside the US Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board.