On April 26, the container ship Maersk Vilnius, located 190 nautical miles (350 km) east of Guadeloupe, signaled the start of a fire located in the engine room. The fire was brought under control a few hours later by the crew, but the damage was more serious than he imagined. The propulsion engines no longer work and the container ship is drifting. However, it contains nearly 1,300 tonnes of fuel and other pollutants. According to the crew, the containers were not affected by the fire and remain safe on board the vessel.
A tug is underway
Since the beginning of the incident, it is the Regional Operational Center for Surveillance and Rescue Antilles-Guyane (CROSS AG) which ensures surveillance and exchanges with this vessel. The container ship is currently drifting west at an average speed of 1.4 knots. In order to anticipate the rapprochement of this Lesser Antilles vessel, two tugs were put on alert by CROSS AG. An evaluation and intervention team (IED) designated by the CROSS AG is also ready to be projected on the ship. This morning, the company owning the container ship informed the CROSS AG that it had chartered the tug ALP DEFENDER from Trinidad to rescue the Maersk Vilnius. He should arrive in the area tomorrow morning to take charge of the container ship in difficulty and tow it safely to a repair site.
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