Fire erupts on Danish bulker at UK port

A Denmark-flagged bulk carrier has suffered a cargo hold fire at the Southampton Bulk Terminal, the United Kingdom.

The fire erupted in one of the cargo holds on board the 62,600 dwt Nord Baltic on 28 January 2022.

The fire was detected within an 8,000-tonne pile of scrap metal, onboard the Ultramax bulker, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service said in a statement.

“The incident was scaled down overnight with the ship’s fire suppression system in use,” the fire & rescue service added on Saturday morning.

The ship’s crew and firefighters acted promptly and extinguished the fire so that the bulker sustained minimal damage.

No injuries have been reported.

An investigation into the incident has been launched.

The scrubber-fitted Nord Baltic is owned by Danish shipping company Norden, according to data provided by VesselsValue. The vessel was built by Japanese shipbuilder Oshima in 2018.