A fire on a container ship has finally been brought under control in the strait of Malacca, a key transit route for global oil and gas shipments.
The fire on the Charlotte Maersk, which broke out on 7 July, is now under control, said the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). The fire started when the vessel was about 100km from Port Klang, Malaysia.
The MMEA said it is monitoring the situation for any signs of oil spills following the incident. Disruptions to other ship traffic in the southeast Asian waterway are thought to have been minimal.
The cause of the fire, which stated in a container on the 6,600t Denmark-flagged vessel is still being investigated. The fire spread from the front deck to the middle of the ship and despite the crew's efforts, it raged out of control. No casualties were reported on board the vessel, which was sailing to Oman, said the MMEA.
The strait of Malacca, which is less than 3km wide at its narrowest point, is the shortest route between the oil-producing Mideast Gulf and main consumer markets of northeast Asia. Malaysia has been increasingly concerned that the growing level of traffic in the strait raises the risk of a serious accident choking off the route. China is bankrolling the building of crude and gas pipelines transiting Myanmar (Burma) to provide an alternative bypass route into southwest China. Similar bypass projects have been proposed for across the Thai and Malay peninsulas.
The fire on the Charlotte Maersk, which broke out on 7 July, is now under control, said the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). The fire started when the vessel was about 100km from Port Klang, Malaysia.
The MMEA said it is monitoring the situation for any signs of oil spills following the incident. Disruptions to other ship traffic in the southeast Asian waterway are thought to have been minimal.
The cause of the fire, which stated in a container on the 6,600t Denmark-flagged vessel is still being investigated. The fire spread from the front deck to the middle of the ship and despite the crew's efforts, it raged out of control. No casualties were reported on board the vessel, which was sailing to Oman, said the MMEA.
The strait of Malacca, which is less than 3km wide at its narrowest point, is the shortest route between the oil-producing Mideast Gulf and main consumer markets of northeast Asia. Malaysia has been increasingly concerned that the growing level of traffic in the strait raises the risk of a serious accident choking off the route. China is bankrolling the building of crude and gas pipelines transiting Myanmar (Burma) to provide an alternative bypass route into southwest China. Similar bypass projects have been proposed for across the Thai and Malay peninsulas.
