MSC container ship catches fire in Persian Gulf near UAE

Posted by Jun 7, 2023 at 3:00 PM

Maritime Executive

The National Search and Rescue Center of the National Guard of the United Arab Emirates reported that it assisted an MSC container ship (registered in Panama) that was on fire in its territorial waters. Few details were released beyond a brief video posted by NSRCUAE on social media.

The unnamed MSC vessel has reportedly called for assistance, with three tugboats working to help extinguish the fire seen in the video on the stern. Not sure if it was a container fire.

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— NSRCUAE – NGC (@NSRCUAE) June 7, 2023

NSRCUAE reported that their helicopter evacuated a crew member who was believed to have suffered severe burns. The report only said that the crew member had been taken to the hospital for “necessary treatment”.

There are several MSC container ships in the area, especially the Khalifa anchorage where the fire is believed to have caught fire. The Salvage and Wreck website identifies the ship as MSC Rita. AIS data show that, MSC Rita Arrived in the region from West Africa. If it is the correct ship, it has been in the UAE since June 4th.

MSC Rita is an 18-year-old container ship. It is 104,850 deadweight tons and has a length of 1,065 feet. It has a carrying capacity of 8,034 TEU.