A major fire broke out on board AP Moller-Maersk’s ultra-large containership Marie Maersk while sailing off the coast of Liberia on the morning of 13 August 2025.
The 2013-built vessel, part of Maersk’s pioneering Triple-E class with a capacity of 19,076 TEU, was en route from Rotterdam, Netherlands, to Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia, when smoke was detected in containers on deck.
Maersk confirmed that all crew members are safe and that the ship remains in a stable condition. “The crew immediately activated safety procedures and began fighting the fire on board,” the company said, adding that machinery, steering, and navigational equipment remain fully operational.
The vessel, measuring 399 meters in length and 59 meters in width, diverted toward the West African coast to receive assistance. By the evening of 13 August, two tugboats equipped with firefighting gear had reached the containership to support the crew.
AIS data showed the Marie Maersk sailing northwest off the Liberian coast at about 1.6 knots under “restricted manoeuvrability” status. Maritime historian Sal Mercogliano reported that the vessel was “hove to” off Liberia, with the Maersk Savannah standing by, as tugs Captain Cat and Med Rigel assisted in firefighting operations. Dutch salvage firm SMIT Salvage has also dispatched two specialised firefighting tugs to the scene.
The full extent of damage to the vessel and its cargo has yet to be confirmed. The Marie Maersk, built in South Korea at a reported cost of $185 million, was the fourth Triple-E class vessel delivered to Maersk in 2013. The ship sails under the Danish flag and is covered by Britannia P&I insurance.
The vessel has a strong safety record, with no port state control detentions to date. Its most recent deficiency was logged in Hamburg in January 2025, when an inspection flagged a minor lighting issue in working spaces.
