Four container ships from the Danish shipping company Maersk lie moored in Loch Striven on July 30, 2009 in Scotland. (Photo : Getty Images)
Two European-owned container ships have collided in the East China Sea while another vessel has been abandoned by its crew after a fire broke out on board, the Denmark-based Maersk Line said on Monday.
Maersk said its ship, the Safmarine Meru, crashed into the German-owned Northern Jasper about 120 nautical miles off the eastern Chinese port of Ningbo, Reuters reported.
The ship had fewer than 400 full containers on board when the accident occurred early on Sunday, causing the 22-strong crew to abandon the ship. No serious injuries to the crew of either vessel were reported.
"We are very relieved that our crew are safe and have not suffered any serious injuries. The safety of our people, at sea and on shore, is paramount to us," said Palle Brodsgaard Laursen, head of Ship Management in Maersk Line.
The Safmarine Meru remained afloat and anchored as firefighting measures were initiated Sunday morning.
"It is too early to comment on the circumstances surrounding the collision and fire," Laursen said.
The crew of the Northern Jasper remained on board the ship following the accident, but were later transferred to shore and provided with medical support and crisis counselling.
Chinese authorities were immediately on the scene.
Maersk Line, a unit in the Danish conglomerate AP Moller-Maersk Group, is the world's biggest container shipping company with over 600 vessels transporting goods ranging from electronics to clothing.
The South China Morning Post also reported on Monday that Chinese authorities have questioned the crew of a Maltese-flagged ship that collided with a Chinese fishing boat over the weekend, leaving at least two sailors dead and 17 others missing.
The ship's Greek captain and 19 crewmembers mostly composed of Filipinos said they were unaware they have crashed into the boat in heavy fog early on Saturday morning, the Post quoted Xu Zhiyong, a border checkpoint officer in the port of Beilun in eastern China's Zhejiang Province.
The ship, the Catalina, which did not stop following the accident, was ordered into port and docked on Saturday night in Beilun, where it was boarded by Chinese officers who conducted an investigation, the report said.
