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A deadly fire broke out aboard the Kyparissia, a container vessel operated under Maersk’s charter, while it was docked at Malaysia’s Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) on Friday, November 7. The blaze claimed three lives and left three others injured, reigniting concerns over the growing number of cargo-related fires at sea this year.
According to Malaysia’s State Fire and Rescue Department, the incident began around midday as port firefighting teams and rescue boats battled the flames before additional emergency crews arrived to assist. The 70,461-dwt vessel, owned and managed by Greece-based Costamare, was in port when an explosion occurred during cargo discharge operations.
A Maersk spokesperson confirmed the fatal explosion and ensuing fire, which was located in the fifth cargo hold below deck. The Kyparissia, registered in Malta and capable of carrying 4,957 TEU, serves a route connecting Onne (Nigeria), Cotonou (Benin), and Singapore.
Tragically, three individuals—identified by Malaysian authorities as a 59-year-old Malaysian, a Filipino national, and a British national—were killed. Three others, a Malaysian and two Filipinos, were injured and remain hospitalized.
“At this stage, we are unable to determine the full extent of the fire’s impact on the vessel and its cargo,” Maersk said in a statement. “We are working closely with PTP authorities, the vessel owner, and the ship’s managers to manage the situation and ensure safety.”
The tragedy coincides with another Maersk vessel incident on the opposite side of the globe. The Laust Maersk, a 63,000-dwt containership registered in Hong Kong, was forced to return to anchorage off Charleston, South Carolina, after smoke was detected in one of its holds on November 6.
The vessel, which had departed Charleston the previous day for Cartagena, Colombia, operates on a transatlantic route linking U.S. ports—including Port Everglades, Newark, and Baltimore—with destinations in Latin America. Maersk confirmed that no crew were injured and that the ship remains stable while undergoing inspection and safety checks. Once cleared, the vessel is expected to berth in Charleston to discharge affected containers.
This series of incidents underscores the persistent challenge of cargo fires within the global shipping industry. In August, Maersk reported a prolonged fire aboard the Marie Maersk off the coast of West Africa, which required over a week of firefighting efforts before the vessel could safely continue to Malaysia.
Other operators have faced similar tragedies. Taiwanese carrier Wan Hai recently confirmed ongoing salvage efforts following a devastating blaze aboard one of its vessels near India that claimed four crewmembers’ lives.
Industry experts continue to warn that misdeclared or improperly packed cargo remains the leading cause of such fires. A 2025 report by insurer Allianz Commercial identified container fires as one of the greatest risks to maritime safety, urging stricter cargo verification and technological solutions.
Shipping companies and insurers are now exploring the use of artificial intelligence to identify hazardous shipments before they are loaded—an innovation that could help prevent future disasters at sea.
