A sailor has died in a fire on the new container ship Maersk Frankfurt, while firefighters continue to fight the blaze three days after it started on July 19.

The Panama-flagged 5,920 TEU vessel was delivered to Japanese tonnage provider Tokei Kaiun by Imabari Shipyard in June and is under a three-year charter contract with Maersk Line. Bernhard Schulte is responsible for the vessel’s technical management.

The Maersk Frankfurt, with 21 sailors on board, was sailing from Mundra to Colombo, Sri Lanka, when it issued a distress signal in the Arabian Sea 50 nautical miles off Karwar, India.

“The vessel operator reported a body on the docking bridge but could not reach it due to the fire,” the Panama Maritime Authority said in a statement. “The Indian authorities are focusing on extinguishing the fire and ensuring the safety of the vessel and its crew,” he added. ”

Seafarer Dies In Severe Blaze On Maersk Vessel Off India

Indian officials said they suspected an electrical fault may have caused the fire, although other media reports speculated that dangerous goods may have been the cause.

The Maersk Frankfurt serves the Danish carrier in Far East Asia and the Indian subcontinent, with Ocean Network Express (ONE) as a co-carrier. Just two days before the fire, the Maersk Frankfurt departed from the Indian port of Mundra for Colombo, with an estimated arrival date of July 21, according to EconDB.

“It is very unfortunate that the ship’s management company has confirmed that one crew member has died following the fire, while the rest of the crew are safe and accounted for,” a Maersk spokesperson told News. “We are in contact with the crew to ensure they have all possible support.”

He stressed that the cause of the fire was not yet known and added that extinguishing the fire was the priority.