Engine room fire aboard Victoria L containership. Coordinated response prevents escalation
The Netherlands Coastguard Coordination Centre received an emergency report from the containership Victoria L, positioned approximately 56 kilometers off the coast of Scheveningen. A fire had broken out in the vessel’s engine room. Although it initially appeared to be under control, a resurgence occurred due to overheating, prompting a full-scale emergency response.
In brief
A fire broke out in the engine room of the container ship Victoria L about 56 kilometres west of the coast of Scheveningen, and the report was received by the Operations Centre of the Dutch Coastguard. The operation involved KNRM lifeboats, two helicopters, a patrol aircraft, Multraship units including Multraship Protector, the tanker Arca and a MIRG team flown on board by air. The fire was confined to the engine room and was extinguished, with no casualties or serious injuries. The container ship Victoria L will enter the port of Rotterdam under its own power for inspections and repairs.
The Netherlands Coastguard (Kustwacht Nederland) immediately initiated a coordinated maritime rescue operation involving multiple specialized assets:
- Rescue vessels from the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM),
- Two Coastguard helicopters and a surveillance aircraft,
- Salvage tugs from Multraship, including Multraship Protector,
- The Rijkswaterstaat emergency response tanker Arca,
- And the Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG), a specialized firefighting unit trained for maritime interventions.
The MIRG team was airlifted to Victoria L where they conducted a reconnaissance and onboard inspection. It was confirmed that the fire had remained contained within the engine room and had not spread to other compartments. Following a coordinated effort between the MIRG specialists and the vessel’s crew, the fire was successfully extinguished.
The vessel has sustained no critical structural damage and is expected to proceed under its own power to the Port of Rotterdam, where further technical assessments will be conducted. No injuries to the crew have been reported.
The incident highlights the effectiveness of joint maritime emergency protocols and the critical role of rapid-response teams like MIRG in ensuring maritime safety in the North Sea region.
Source: Gazeta Morska · Compiled by: Kamil Kusier
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