AP Moller-Maersk said a just-built container ship on charter from a Japanese shipowner has suffered a fire off India.
The Danish liner operator said its 5,920-teu Maersk Frankfurt (built 2024) suffered the fire while it was sailing from Mundra to the Sri Lankan port of Colombo.
Clarksons data shows the vessel was delivered from Japanese shipbuilder Imabari Shipbuilding in June.
Photos published by the Indian Coast Guard on X show flames burning in the ship’s forward container stacks.
“Firefighting is underway with support from the Indian Coast Guard,” Maersk said around midnight local time (18:30 GMT Friday). “The vessel is in stable condition.”
The Copenhagen-listed container shipping giant said on X that it is unable to confirm the extent of the fire at this stage.
“We are in constant touch with the vessel owner and ship managers,” Maersk said. “The safety of the crew remains the top priority at this moment.”
The Indian Coast Guard said on X that it received a distress call from the Maersk Frankfurt “regarding a major fire on board” while the ship was 50 nautical miles (93 km) off Karwar.
The agency sent a Dornier aircraft and three ships to respond to the incident and said more aircraft were being mobilised.
A coastguard video showed one of the ships dousing the container vessel with a water hose.
The Maersk Frankfurt is owned by Tokei Kaiun of Japan and managed by a Hong Kong unit of Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, according to Equasis data.
The Panamanian-flagged ship is classed by Japan’s ClassNK and has insurance from UK P&I Club.
