Maersk vessel stricken by fire

   A fire aboard a Maersk Line container vessel that began Aug. 30 continues to burn, though crews have it mostly contained, the line said in an update Tuesday.
   The 6,802-TEU Maersk Kampala was stricken by the fire near the southern entrance of the Suez Canal, with poor weather the evening of Aug. 30 and into Aug. 31 preventing firefightings tugs from getting close enough to extinguish the blaze.
   The line said over the weekend, crews restricted the number of containers still ablaze to six in the two foremost bays. Maersk said the fire originated in one container and quickly spread to several more containers.
   “Importantly, the fire-fighting team on board is also now well into the process of extinguishing the fire inside containers by cutting open the hot containers as well as those nearby and flooding them with water,” Maersk said in its update.
   The ship is maneuverable and no crew have been affected by the fire, the carrier added. – Eric Johnson