The Panama Canal Authority says that on Monday,30 of January, a fire started in the engine room of a containership near the entrance to the Pacific side of the Panama Canal. The fire was reported on the Maltese-flagged Cape Kortia as it headed toward the PSA Panama International Terminal.
Photos posted online show smoke coming from the ship’s funnel near the Bridge of the Americas. The National Aeronaval Service of Panama sent two ships to the scene. Since then, the fire has been put out, and no one has been hurt.
In a statement, the Panama Canal Authority said, “The CAPE KORTIA stayed for a short time on its way to the Pacific Access Channel until it was moved by Panama Canal staff.” “These maneuvers happened during the normal time for ships to pass through the Panama Canal, so they didn’t cause any delays.”
The M/V Cape Kortia was built in 2017 and is chartered to MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. It is owned by Costamare (NYSE: CMRE). It can hold up to 11,010 TEUs.
