A fire broke out on the Grimaldi Group’s con-ro vessel Grande Brasile in the English Channel on Tuesday, prompting a rescue operation.
The incident occurred 15 miles off the coast of Kent, England, leaving the vessel adrift. The Grande Brasile, a 3,515-lane-metre vessel built in 2000, had departed Antwerp, Belgium, en route to Le Havre, France.
The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and RNLI lifeboats were dispatched to the scene. AIS data indicated the Malta-flagged vessel was “not under command” on Wednesday morning, moving at 1 knot.
“No injuries have been reported,” an MCA spokesperson confirmed. A tug and a French vessel equipped for firefighting joined the operation.
The fire, which reportedly started in the morning, was contained to a single deck and subsequently extinguished, according to the MCA. A Dutch fixed-wing aircraft provided monitoring support.
An RNLI spokesperson stated that lifeboats were initially called to assist but were later stood down and returned to shore.
The Grande Brasile is insured through the Britannia P&I club. The vessel has maintained a clean port state control detention record over the past 17 years, with no deficiencies found during three safety checks conducted in 2024.
The vessel is operated by Grimaldi’s Atlantic Container Line (ACL) unit.
Grimaldi Group is a privately owned Italian shipping company specializing in roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessels, car carriers, and cruise ferries.