Grimaldi’s Con-Ro vessel catches fire, goes adrift in English Channel

A Grimaldi-operated Con-Ro vessel suffered an onboard fire incident and then went adrift in the English Channel on 18 February, according to the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

The 26,000DWT, Malta-registered Grande Brasile was southbound in the channel sailing to the port of Le Havre in France, when a blaze ignited in one of the ship decks on the morning (local time) of Tuesday (18 February).

The vessel crew informed UK authorities that the ship suffered a loss of propulsion and steering, prompting them to send out a distress call.

The MCA instructed the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to despatch rescue boats to assist Grande Brasile, which later ended up some 15 nautical miles off Ramsgate.

The fire was eventually extinguished with the aid of the vessel’s onboard suppression system, while all 28 crew members were reported safe with no injuries.

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