The “Hanjin Athens” suffered a fire in her No. 2 hold on May 6, 2014, south of the Suez Canal.
The casualty was on a laden voyage with containerised cargo loaded in Pusan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Yantian and Singapore bound for Port Said, Naples, Livorno and La Spezia. Hull interests engaged the services of professional salvors, Svitzer.
The fire-fighting services were rendered under a fixed form contract. A significant number of containers in No. 2 hold were flooded with extinguishing water. The fire was put out, but at least 200 boxes were damaged. On June 6 the “Hanjin Athens” arrived on Limassol Anchorage with the task of offloading damaged containers.
A team of experts surveyed containers and didn’t find dangerous items in cargo manifest, i.e. materials of class 1 (explosives) and class 7 (radioactive). On June 13 vessel was still on Limassol Anchorage awaiting permission to unload, otherwise it would be dangerous to stay on course to the original destination. Albatross Adjusters Ltd. were seeking General Average security from all cargo and container shell interests.
A task team was formed to assess the dangers of allowing the ship to enter Limassol port and unload its cargo on Cyprus soil. Limassol Port sent experts onboard, verified the ship’s manifest, inspected the cargo and ordered all the tests required, as per standard procedure. They were expecting the final results within the next days and if everything checks out OK the cargo will be unloaded on June 17 or 18.
The fully cellular container vessel “HANJIN ATHENS” (built 2000 in Korea) of 68,819 tonnes deadweight and 5618 TEU, suffered a fire in her No. 2 hold on 6 May 2014, south of the Suez Canal.
The casualty was on a laden voyage with containerised cargo loaded in Pusan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Yantian and Singapore bound for Port Said, Naples, Livorno and La Spezia.
Hull interests engaged the services of professional salvors, Svitzer. The fire-fighting services were rendered under a fixed form contract. A significant number of containers in No. 2 hold were flooded with extinguishing water. The fire was put out.
Shipowners have declared General Average and appointed Albatross Adjusters Ltd in Limassol as GA adjusters. Albatross are seeking General Average security from all cargo and container shell interests.
We are instructed by property interests with a substantial contributory value to investigate the cause of the outbreak of fire vis a vis owners’ claim for General Average and to advise in relation to the possibilities of recovery from the contractual carrier.
The "Hanjin Athens" suffered a fire in her No. 2 hold on May 6, 2014, south of the Suez Canal.
The "Hanjin Athens" suffered a fire in her No. 2 hold on May 6, 2014, south of the Suez Canal.
Boxship Hanjin Athens suffered fire in Hold 2 on May 6 while transiting Suez Canal, which inflicted substantial damage to the containers. No less than 200 containers were damaged, according to Cyprus media. Vessel stayed on Port Said Anchorage for at least three weeks. Operator of the vessel declared General Average. On June 6 Hanjin Athens arrived on Limassol Anchorage with the task of offloading damaged containers. A team of experts surveyed containers and didn’t find dangerous items in cargo manifest, i.e. materials of class 1 (explosives) and class 7 (radioactive). As of 1500 UTC June 13 vessel was still on Limassol Anchorage.
NSB was the operator of notorious boxship MSC Flaminia, whose cargo was badly damaged or destroyed by major fire on board. Dozens of MSC/NSB minor clients were simply robbed under the disguise of “General Average”.http://www.odin.tc/flaminia/default.asp
Container ship Hanjin Athens, IMO 9200706, dwt 68819, capacity 5618 TEU, built 2000, flag Germany, manager NSB NIEDERELBE SCHIFFAHRTSGES.
NSB was the operator of notorious boxship MSC Flaminia, whose cargo was badly damaged or destroyed by major fire on board. Dozens of MSC/NSB minor clients were simply robbed under the disguise of “General Average”.http://www.odin.tc/flaminia/default.asp
Container ship Hanjin Athens, IMO 9200706, dwt 68819, capacity 5618 TEU, built 2000, flag Germany, manager NSB NIEDERELBE SCHIFFAHRTSGES.
HANJIN ATHENS – Fire in number 2 hold on 6 May 2014
Once again the mandatory fire fighting equipment regulations on board large container vessels will come under scrutiny.
The fire which broke out on 6 May 2014 in hold number 2 of the HANJIN ATHENS is one of a series of fires including but not limited to the recent one on the MSC FLAMINIA which belonged to the same German ship owner Niederelbe Schifffahrtsgesellschaft Buxtehude (NSB).
Is a fire pump capacity servicing only two 20 meter hoses with a water throwing distance of 20 meters as required by SOLAS really enough and state of the art of modern technology to combat fires on large container vessels? What about foam sprinklers in cargo holds, water curtains between the bays to prevent a spreading of the fire or remotely controlled heavy foam monitors with a throwing distance of 50 meters just to name a few options to improve fire safety on large container vessels?
The HANJIN ATHENS was en route from Pusan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Yantian and Singapore bound for Port Said, Naples, Livorno and La Spezia with a capacity of some 5.600 TEU, hence it can be estimated that a total of some 2.800 TEU were on board with an estimated total cargo value of USD 150 to 200 million, hence the 34% GA security would amount to approx. USD 51 to 68 million. The Cyprus based General Average Adjusters are asking for a 34% General Average Security whilst exercising the ship owner’s right to lien the cargo. We (ZASS) have been asked by Cargo Underwriters from China and the Middle East to assist.
Whilst a fire does usually give a ship owner or a B/L carrier a valid defense to reject liability it has to be seen if there is some blame on the ship owner or if the container from which the fire originated can be identified to allocate it to a shipper that may be blamed. According to the latest IMO regulations the Maritime Accident Investigation Report has to be published latest within one year after the accident and submitted in English language to the IMO, unless there are good reasons to prolong this period of time for the sake of the investigation.
The vessel is reportedly P&I insured with GARD AS and it has to be seen if the ship owners initiate limitation proceedings to limit their liability to an amount of SDR 23.083.400 being equivalent to approx. USD 35.544.421 (which is about half of the requested GA security) in accordance with the 1996 amendments to the London Limitation Convention of 1976 for a ship size of 66,278 GT.
We are happy to monitor events and report further on the case for our existing as well as any new clients.