A feeder containership caught fire at the Port of Tanjung Perak in Surabaya, Indonesia, on Monday, December 29.

Fire authorities said the engine room fire was brought under control after about four hours, and all 22 crew members were evacuated safely. No injuries were reported.

The 15,400 dwt vessel Verizon had arrived at the Berlian Container Terminal the day before.

Around 5:00 am local time, thick smoke was seen coming from the ship, causing concern at the busy port and prompting a major firefighting response.

Officials reported that the fire started in the engine room near a generator, deep inside the hull, making it hard to reach.

Initial attempts to fight the fire were unsuccessful, and crews had to use heavy breathing equipment to access the lower parts of the ship. At its peak, 16 firefighting units were involved.

Video Credits: Inilahcom/YouTube

The fire spread from the engine room to the paint room, a storage room, and the CO₂ tank room, damaging about 20 square metres of the interior. Authorities said they managed to prevent the flames from spreading further.

Fuel on board added to the challenge. The ship was carrying nine tonnes of fuel, with two tonnes of black fuel in reserve, and officials said about 60 per cent of the fuel was consumed by the fire. After the blaze was under control, cooling operations continued to ensure safety.

Port authorities said most terminal operations were maintained during the incident. Full operations resumed at 09:20 am once the ship was declared safe.

The Verizon, built in 1995, has been operating on interisland feeder routes in Indonesia since 2015 and also serves international feeder routes. The vessel is 145 metres long and operated by Salem Pacific Indonesia Lines.

Fire teams are still inspecting the ship to confirm the cause. Local media reported that the operator said the fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit in the engine room.

References: crewmirror, bairdmaritime