Fire breaks out aboard MOL containership

The 6,350-TEU MOL Prestige experienced an engine room fire last Wednesday in the Gulf of Alaska at approximately 9:00 p.m. standard time while en route to Tokyo.    An engine room fire broke out on the MOL Prestige while the containership was en route from Vancouver, Canada to Tokyo.
   The incident occurred last Wednesday in the Gulf of Alaska at approximately 9:00 p.m. standard time, a MOL spokesperson told American Shipper.
   Although the fire has been extinguished, the cause of the engine room fire is still under investigation, the spokesperson said. “MOL will do everything reasonably possible in the circumstances to expedite cargo delivery,” he said.
   The ocean tug Denise Foss arrived at the location of the MOL Prestige on Saturday at 5:45 p.m. standard time, and began towing operations at 7:00 standard time, according to a MOL press release.
   Subject to weather conditions, the Japanese shipping company anticipates the MOL Prestige will arrive at a North American port on Feb. 10 in the morning, local time. The specific arrival port is still to be determined.
   According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, the 6,350-TEU containership was operating on “THE” Alliance’s PN2, a service dedicated to trade between Asia and the West Coast of North America. The loop deploys seven vessels averaging 6,350 TEUs, and has a rotation of Singapore, Laem Chabang, Cai Mep, Kaohsiung, Yantian, Tacoma, Vancouver (Canada), Tokyo, Kobe, Kaohsiung and Singapore.