A fire has been contained on board a vessel berthed at the Cape Town Container Terminal.
The Cosco Shipping container ship, Cosco São Paulo, built in 2013 and currently sailing under the flag of Hong Kong, was stationed at berth 602 when Port Control reported seeing smoke billowing from the cargo hold.
It was noticed at around 1pm on Tuesday, May 26.
The first time smoke was detected on board the vessel was when it arrived outside the Port of Cape Town from Durban on Monday, May 25.
Transnet National Ports Authority at the Port of Cape Town is working with the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) to contain the situation.
A firefighting tug has been deployed and fire hoses rigged on board the vessel to fight the fire.
When Freight News was informed yesterday about the incident, a salvage team had boarded the vessel.
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service and emergency spill contractor, Spilltech, were also on standby on the quayside.
Terminal operator Transnet Port Terminals said it was planning to discharge some containers in the affected area today so that a thorough damage assessment could to be conducted.
