A salvage tug is en route to the Maersk Sana, a Maersk-operated container ship that has been drifting in the Atlantic Ocean since an engine room explosion occurred last week.
The vessel, positioned approximately 250 nautical miles east of Bermuda, experienced the explosion on April 28 while sailing from Newark to Singapore.
Maersk confirmed in a statement issued on Monday, May 5, that the tug had departed from Europe on April 4 and is expected to reach the stricken vessel in just over a week. .
By the time it arrives, Maersk Sana will have been adrift for roughly two weeks.
The 8,450 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) vessel suffered significant damage, and three crew members were injured during the incident.
One crew member with minor injuries was treated onboard, while two others were medically evacuated to Bermuda.
One has since been discharged, and the other was transported to a hospital in the United States in stable but critical condition.
Maersk stated that an investigation into the cause of the explosion is underway. The company is also in contact with customers to manage the potential impact on supply chains.
The Maersk Sana, built in 2004 and sailing under the Singapore flag, is owned by AP Moller Singapore.
It operates as part of the Gemini Alliance service, in partnership with Hapag-Lloyd. According to Equasis, the ship passed its most recent Port State Control inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard in Charleston on April 16, with no deficiencies reported.
At this stage, details about the vessel’s cargo and its eventual towing destination remain unknown.
