Container Ship Victoria L on Fire After Explosion at Sea

A fire broke out aboard the container vessel Victoria L on April 9 following an onboard explosion. A rescue operation is currently in progress.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. At the time of the incident, there were 19 crew members aboard. The Dutch coastguard was alerted to the situation around 1 p.m. local time, while the ship was near Hoek van Holland, close to Rotterdam.

According to MarineTraffic data, Victoria L began showing unusual navigational signals at 09:43 UTC, alternating several times between “Underway using Engine” and “Not Under Command.” The final status update occurred at 12:21 UTC. The ship is currently listed as “Not Under Command.”

The Victoria L is a 16-year-old container ship, owned by a German company and registered under the Liberian flag. It was sailing from Hamburg to Rotterdam when the explosion occurred in the North Sea. Over the past year, the vessel has primarily operated between ports in Northwest Africa.

Several emergency vessels and a rescue helicopter have been dispatched to assist. These include KNRM Dorus Rijkers, Multraship Protector, KNRM Jeanine Parqui, and the SAR helicopter 111244511, all seen operating near the vessel. The Pollution Control Vessel Acra is also nearby.

At this time, reports indicate that there have been no injuries.