GENERAL average was declared late last week by the owners of Yantian Express, as a result of a fire that broke out on the ship’s deck and subsequent firefighting efforts.
The fire broke out on 3 January as the vessel was sailing off the coast of Canada on the East Coast Loop 5 service. It was on its way from Colombo to Halifax via the Suez Canal.
A statement from Hapag Lloyd said the fire was brought under control after one week of fire fighting efforts and salvage operations have since made “considerable progress”.
The ship is currently steaming towards Freeport in the Bahamas, with Hapag-Lloyd saying it was not possible to make a precise estimate of any damage to the ship or its cargo as of late last week.
A statement from Ocean Network Express said average adjusters are to be appointed and all parties with cargo interests (or their insurance companies) should contact the adjusters once they are appointed.
German-flagged Yantian Express (IMO 9229831) has a cargo capacity of 7510 TEU and is 350 metres in length.
For a more detailed information on general average, see page 57 of the forthcoming February edition of the DCN magazine.
