APL Austria Hit by Major Fire off South Africa

A Liberian flagged cargo vessel identified as APL Austria has suffered a major fire offshore South Africa, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) said on Monday.

The fire broke out on Sunday afternoon while the containership was 30 nautical miles South-West of Cape St Francis – some 50-70 kilometers west of the city of Port Elizabeth.Having been informed of the fire, the SAMSA Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) located in Cape Town set in motion rescue services as the vessel’s crew was working to put out the blaze, Captain Daron Burgess, a Principal Officer for SAMSA’s Southern region is quoted by SAMSA as saying.