9754
Views

Two Crew Killed, Third Burnt in Fire Aboard Containership Docked in Houston

containership fire
Local fire departments responded to the engine room fire and located three missing crewmembers (Baytown Fire Deptartment)

Published Jan 8, 2024 1:19 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

A fire aboard the Panama-flagged containership docked in the Port of Houston killed two crewmembers and left a third in critical condition with burns. The local fire departments and U.S. Coast Guard are reporting the fire is out and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the early morning blaze.

The containership Stride (24,777 dwt) arrived in the Port of Houston late on January 7 and was docked at the Barbours Cut Container Terminal. The vessel built in 1997 is 597 feet in length (182 meters) with a capacity of 2,174. It is owned by Danaos Shipping of Greece and was arriving from Guatemala and Honduras.

A fuel barge was alongside this morning when a fire was reported aboard the vessel at approximately 0330 local time. The Baytown Fire Department reports it was told three crewmembers were missing and that the fire was in the engine room. They searched the vessel locating the crewmembers and arranged for one who had been burnt to be airlifted by Life Flight in critical condition. The other two crewmembers were deceased when they were located. No other injuries or fatalities were reported.

 

 

A picture Tweeted by the local TV station shows soot on the rear of the funnel. The fire was extinguished and did not spread.

The U.S. Coast Guard and the Port of Houston Fire Department will be monitoring the vessel for at least the next 24 hours.