Updated: Maersk Line boxship on fire near Suez

The blaze onboard the 6,800-teu Maersk Kampala started in two containers in the foremost bays of the deck at around 2100hrs on 29 August as the vessel was headed north to the Suez Canal.

"All crew are accounted for, no injuries reported and communication with the vessel is ongoing. Tug boats with fire-fighting capability remain on the scene fighting the fire. An additional fire-fighting team will arrive this afternoon to help with the effort," Maersk said on Friday.

It is the third blaze involving containers catching fire onboard vessels in the last two months. In July the crew of Hansa Brandenberg were forced to evacuate the vessel after containers in front of the accommodation block caught fire. Earlier in the same month containers onboard the wreck of the MOL Comfort caught fire while it was being towed to Oman, the fire raged for five days before the fore section of the vessel sank.