Splash247: Explosion knocks out MSC boxship near St Petersburg
An explosion and subsequent fire have hit the MSC-operated container ship MSC Giada III while the vessel was approaching St Petersburg in Russia’s Neva Bay, according to vessel tracking data and regional response activity.
The 2,732 teu, Liberia-flagged ship was en route from Belgium to St Petersburg when the blast occurred in the engine room, triggering a fire that spread to the deck superstructure. There were 22 crewmembers onboard at the time of the incident. No injuries have been reported.
The 24-year-old feeder vessel regularly operates on European, Baltic and Russian trade lanes.
Emergency assets were dispatched from the port of St Petersburg, including the rescue vessel Spasatel Karev and the icebreaker Semyon Dezhnev. According to local media reports, the fire was brought under control within a few hours of the explosion.
Authorities said the ship’s hull was not damaged, and there were no reports of fuel leakage. Following the firefighting operation, the vessel was towed to the port of St Petersburg, where it will undergo inspection and assessment.
Initial reports had suggested the vessel involved was Panama-flagged, but AIS data and the positioning of responding salvage units indicate MSC Giada III was operating in the area at the time of the incident, maritime security specialist Vanguard noted.
The incident follows heightened scrutiny of shipping traffic bound for Russian ports in the Gulf of Finland, after Estonia recently detained the Bahamian-flagged container ship Baltic Spirit while it was also en route to St Petersburg.
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