Remains of Three Crew Found on Maersk Honam

Maersk said the remains of three of four missing crew members have been found aboard the Maersk Honam after a fire broke out in one of the vessel’s cargo holds last week.

The search for the fourth crew member continues on board, though the search at sea has been suspended.

“Given the time passed and the severe fire damages of the vessel we must conclude by now that we have lost all four colleagues who have been missing since the fire onboard Maersk Honam which began on March 6. All four families of our deceased colleagues have been informed,” Maersk said.

The Singapore flagged Maersk Honam caught fire last Tuesday, about 900 nautical miles southeast of Salalah, Oman, while en route from Singapore towards Suez.

The 15,000 TEU containership was manned by 27 crew, including 13 from India, nine from the Philippines, two Thai nationals and one each from Romania, South Africa and the U.K.

Twenty-three crew members were rescued but one of them, a Thai national, died on Wednesday, Maersk said.

Twenty-two crew members received medical treatment on land, and the majority have been released from hospitals. Crew members who initially received intensive care have been moved to a general ward and are recovering well, Maesrk said.

Firefighting efforts on board Maersk Honam are progressing. Specialized firefighting vessels remain engaged, with salvage operations led by Smit Salvage and Ardent. Maersk Line is cooperating with the salvors and has two marine engineers on site working closely with Smit and Ardent.

The India Marine Police is investigating the incident, and they will be interviewing all crew members. A full investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the fire and the impact to the vessel and cargo.