Maersk ship in collision near China

Crew safe after being forced to abandon ship due to fire ignition

The Maersk Line-owned container ship Safmarine Meru has reportedly been involved in a collision with another ship over the weekend.

Maersk Line announced on Sunday that the Safmarine Meru collided with the German-owned container ship Northern Jasper off the coast of China on Saturday.

Maersk Line revealed that the 292-metre Safmarine Meru was heavily damaged during the collision and a fire was ignited on board.

“It is too early to comment on the circumstances surrounding the collision and fire. Our focus now is to put the fire out and get access to the vessel to assess the damage to the vessel and cargo,” said Palle Brodsgaard Laursen, the head of ship management for Maersk Lines.

READ MORE: Maersk ship in Suez Canal collision

Second collision since 2014
All 22 crew members managed to leave the ship and are now aboard the Northern Jasper. None are injured

The collision took place 120 nautical miles east of the city of Ningbo, which the Maersk ship was making its way towards after departing from Qingdao.

According to Maersk Line, there were under 400 filled containers aboard the ship – built in 2006 – when the collision took place.

It’s the second time in the last couple of years that a Maersk ship has been involved in a collision. In late 2014, Maersk Tanjong collided with another ship in the Suez Canal in Egypt.