Whilst transiting from Singapore to Durban, South Africa, the container vessel 'Hansa Brandenburg', 1,740TEU, caught fire on the 15th of July near Mauritius. The crew evacuated and was safely rescued by an attending vessel nearby.
Immediately thereafter SMIT Salvage and one of its co-salvors were contracted under a LOF agreement to begin salving the vessel and her cargo.
After an initial overflight survey, two tugs, one outfitted with FiFi units, were mobilized from Mauritius, along with a team from SMIT, co-salvors and specialized fire-fighting experts. After several days of boundary cooling and firefighting from both the tug and on board of the vessel, the fire was extinguished. A detailed assessment of the condition of the vessel showed that it was in sufficiently good condition for a safe tow to a port of refuge in Mauritius. At a specially prepared berth, the salvage team assisted with the discharge and separation of the damaged and sound containers for several weeks.
Special care was taken during this part of the operation for health and environmental hazards as a result of highly contaminated firewater and gasses on board of the vessel. After having completed the discharge operation, the vessel was redelivered to its owners.
