Several incidents in recent days have led to major tragedies on cargo ships that have resulted in the loss of crew members.

Right now, off the coast of India in the Arabian Sea, a fire continues to rage on the ‘Maersk Frankfurt’ containership, which was making its maiden voyage. After an electrical short-circuit started the fire, the Indian Coast Guard has been firefighting for almost a week and sadly one Filipino crew member has lost his life during the tragic incident.

Yesterday, following Typhoon Gaemi causing devastation across Taiwan, nine crew members from Myanmar went overboard before the general cargo vessel ‘Fu Shun’ sunk during high winds and treacherous waves. Three crew members have since been rescued, but six more are still missing.

Just 10 days ago, the tanker ship ‘Prestige Falcon’, capsized in challenging weather conditions off the coast of Oman. Of the 16 Indian and Sri Lankan crew members aboard, one was later found dead, nine were rescued and six remain missing.

These incidents serve as a reminder of the dangers involved in merchant shipping. That’s without the added fear of Houthi attacks, which claimed the lives of four crew members this year in the Red Sea region. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of the families affected by these tragedies.

As far as the cargoes are concerned, they also serve as a reminder of the importance of having proper cargo insurance in place. If you are not sure whether you are correctly covered, then please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team for clarification.