A fire broke out in one of the cargo holds of the general cargo ship Ventura as the ship was about to enter the Kiel Canal on Friday, German Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said.
The ship was on its way from Liepaja, Latvia to Brunsbütte transporting beet pulp when the smoke started billowing from one of its cargo holds, forcing the ship to dock at a nearby quay in Kiel.
Local firefighters were dispatched to the scene who managed to contained the fire to allow for a part of the cargo to be unloaded and embers to be put out.
As informed, the crew members of the ship and its captain are reported to be safe. The Antigua Barbuda-flagged ship did not sustain major damages.
Based on its latest AIS data, the 2006-built Ventura left Cuxhaven, Germany and is underway using engine toward Casablanka, Marocco where it is expected to arrive on Monday, December 28th.
World Maritime News Staff