Fire breaks out on containership in Manila harbor

The 2,742-TEU capacity Cape Moreton caught fire early Sunday morning while docked at Manila International Container Port in the Philippines.    The containership Cape Moreton caught fire early Sunday morning while docked at Manila International Container Port in the Philippines.
   The fire began at around 9:15 a.m. local time while the 2,742-TEU capacity vessel was docked at Berth 1 of the Southeast Asian port. A firefighting team was dispatched to the scene immediately, but apparently was delayed in its efforts by the crew of the ship, who asked each firefighter to present identification before entering the vessel.
   It took 20 firetrucks and three tugboats nine hours to contain the blaze, which may have begun in containers carrying sodium hydroxide, according to media reports.
   According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database, the 2005-built Cape Moreton is owned by Hamburg-based Hanse Bereederung, part of Schoeller Holdings, and flagged in the Marshall Islands.
   Authorities have said that no casualties were reported as a result of the incident and the precise cause of the fire is still under investigation.