Concerns are sparked after a goods container aboard a cargo ship burst into an explosion. The incident happened at one of the most bustling ports in China, the Ningbo Port on Friday.
The YM Mobility, a Taiwanese vessel operated by Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation confirmed the details regarding the incident in a statement to CNBC. The vessel was operating on a service between Far East and the Middle East Gulf region. The vessel is said to have been carrying hazardous goods.
After the explosion, fire was spread to the ship, but prompt action was vigilantly taken. The crew and emergency responders were quick to control the fire before it could spread and cause serious damage or casualties. According to the ship’s owner, everybody on board was safely evacuated.
As tracked by MarineTraffic, the YM Mobility sailing under the Liberian flag arrived at Ningbo. Its last stop was in Shanghai. According to a post on Chinese social media, when the incident occurred, the ship was docked at Beilun 2 container terminal. The cause of the incident is not yet clear.
In one of his statements to CNBC, Yang Ming added that it might be the dangerous goods in the container. He further said that the owner of the goods declared it as dry, cold storage without requiring power connection. As per the recent reports, the incident has not disrupted or affected any major shipping lines.
The explosion occurred at about 1:40pm on Friday. The shockwaves were felt a kilometer away, while the YM Mobility was docked at the port’s Beilun terminal, Chinese media reported.
The container was loaded with materials that were vulnerable to explosions, such as lithium batteries and parabens. It could take three months to repair the vessel, China Central Television (CCTV) cited authorities as saying.
After docking at Ningbo, the YM Mobility, equipped with 20 crew members, was scheduled to head to Jakarta, Indonesia, CCTV said.
The reports also said that the explosion was caused by overheating, and that the container that exploded belonged to South Korean logistics and shipping operators HMM Co.
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