Cargo Ship Carrying Lithium Batteries Catches Fire

A huge cargo ship carrying lithium batteries caught fire two miles offshore of an Alaska port.

The Coast Guard is currently battling the blaze and keeping the ship offshore for safety precautions.

There were reported 19 crew members aboard, and all of them were not harmed by the blaze.

The fire is located inside of the ship’s hold and has been kindling since December 25th.

Ship carrying lithium batteries from Vietnam headed for San Diego catches fire and kept 2 miles offshore of Unalaska, in the Aleutian islands. https://t.co/1MgnR9u9dy

— Selous_Scouts (@scouts_sel41169) December 31, 2023

Per NBC Connecticut:

A large cargo ship with a fire in its hold is being kept 2 miles (3.22 kilometers) offshore of an Alaska port as a precaution while efforts are undertaken to extinguish the flames, the U.S. Coast Guard said Saturday.

There were no injuries to the 19 crew members aboard the Genius Star XI, which was carrying a load of lithium-ion batteries across the Pacific Ocean from Vietnam to San Diego, the guard’s Alaska district said in a release.

The fire started on Christmas Day in cargo hold No. 1, a spokesperson for ship owner Wisdom Marine Group said in a statement. The crew released carbon dioxide into the hold and sealed it over concerns of an explosion.

Ship’s personnel alerted the Coast Guard early Thursday morning about the fire. The Coast Guard said it diverted the 410-foot (125-meter) cargo ship to Dutch Harbor, one of the nation’s busiest fishing ports located in Unalaska, an Aleutian Islands community about 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) southwest of Anchorage.

San Diego-Bound Cargo Ship Hauling Lithium Batteries Reports Fire https://t.co/MlufHkWDUs

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) December 30, 2023

Per CTV News:

A cargo vessel carrying lithium-ion batteries has been ordered to continue to Alaska after a fire was reported in its cargo hold.

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The U.S. Coast Guard said Friday the fire is contained but ongoing. The 125-metre cargo ship Genius Star XI was directed to continue to the port at Dutch Harbor, Alaska. A Coast Guard airplane and the Coast Guard ship Alex Haley were sent to assist.

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The ship was located about 362 kilometres southwest of Dutch Harbor when they reported the fire early Thursday morning, the guard said in a release.

The vessel is owned by Wisdom Marine Group of Taipei, Taiwan. A spokesperson said in an email that there were no injuries to the 19 crew members and no oil has leaked.

Cargo ship carrying lithium ion batteries ordered to continue to Alaska despite a fire in cargo hold https://t.co/ihqA7qCH8N

— CTV News (@CTVNews) December 30, 2023