Burning ConRo Ship Now Listing off France

The fire onboard the 56,642 gross ton Grande America, which started on Sunday, is still ablaze and the vessel is now listing on its right side.

As informed by the Maritime Prefecture of Atlantic, the listing is getting worse over time.

[#GrandeAmerica] Le violent incendie sur le #GrandeAmerica est toujours en cours. Le navire présente une inclinaison sur son côté droit qui s’aggrave au fil du temps. Plus d’information : https://t.co/GFt6RNXscl @SGMer @MarineNationale @OuestFrance @LeTelegramme @sudouest pic.twitter.com/JYm6n9bhNh

— Premar Atlantique (@premaratlant) March 12, 2019

As World Maritime News already reported, the roll-on/roll-off container (ConRo) vessel caught fire during the weekend in the Bay of Biscay while sailing from Hamburg to Casablanca.

Twenty-six crewmembers and one passenger were safely evacuated onto the Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll in the early morning hours of March 11.

The vessel continues to drift to the east and is currently some 350 kilometers off the French coast, the Maritime Prefecture added. A number of containers and vehicles are on board the ship.

Around ten containers fell off the ship. A maritime surveillance aircraft will attempt to locate the containers during the day.

Grimaldi, the vessel owner, has appointed salvage company Ardent to provide assistance to the fire-stricken vessel. Ardent is sending two tugs to the scene that are expected to arrive today and tomorrow.

Weather conditions in the area of operations are expected to deteriorate over the next 48 hours, limiting the response of deployed assets.

World Maritime News Staff