A Grimaldi Group-owned ro-ro vessel sank today off the coast of France, succumbing to a blaze that erupted almost two day ago.
A fire broke out in a container on the ship's weather deck on Sunday night into Monday morning that quickly spread to other boxes, forcing the crew to evacuate in a life boat at 0230 local time.
The vessel was en route from Hamburg to Casablanca, about 260 kilometres off northwest France's Finistere, at the time of the fire.
Fire extinguishing operations started Monday morning with the 21,456-bhp firefighting tug Abielle Bourbon (built 2005).
French authorities suspended operations last night, however, as the ship listed heavily before sinking at 1526, about 140 nautical miles southwest of French port city Brest.
"We are pleased to confirm that there was no loss of life or injury among the 26 crew and one passenger who had left the vessel in the early hours of March 11," Grimaldi said.
Salvage company Ardent dispatched 15,000-bhp Union Lynx (built 1999) from Vigo, Spain on Monday night with a 10-man crew to retrieve the vessel at 2000 today local time.
Fire-fighting vessel 16,300-bhp Terasea Hawk (built 2013) was supposed to arrive from Rotterdam on the evening of 13 March.
Grimaldi is arranging to prevent potential damage to the marine environment as a result of the sinking.
The Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll picked up all 27 crew members on board the Grande America soon after the fire broke out and brought them to Brest.
French authorities dispatched a maritime surveillance plane and, with Grimaldi's help, the 21,456-bhp firefighting tug Abielle Bourbon (built 2005) to the scene.
