Classification
- Incident Type: Fire / Explosion
- Severity: High
- Primary Source: Official China MSA investigation report reviewed from the mirrored PDF at the report URL.
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | YM Mobility |
| Vessel Type | Container |
| Flag State | Liberia [LR] |
| IMO Number | 9457737 |
| Gross Tonnage | 76787 |
| LOA (m) | 305.60 |
| Breadth (m) | 40.00 |
| Bollard Pull (t) | |
| Power (kW) | 58015 |
| Owner/Operator | ALL OCEANS TRANSPORTATION INC. (owner); YM (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD. (manager) |
| TEU | |
| Year Built | 2011 |
| Crew Size | 20 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 2024-08-09 |
| Location | Berth 2, Beilun Second Container Terminal Branch, Ningbo Zhoushan Port, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China |
| Coordinates | 29.945000, 121.840000 |
| Region | South China Sea |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | 0 |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage | about CNY 90 million |
| Outcome | A TBPB container caught fire and exploded; the No. 1 hatch cover, deck and hull were damaged, and multiple containers were destroyed or lost overboard. |
Key facts
- At 13:46:30 on 9 August 2024, container
MWCU6639680 at stowage position 020982 caught fire and exploded at berth 2 in Ningbo. - The container carried 16 tonnes of tert-butyl perbenzoate (TBPB), a Class 5.2 dangerous good.
- The explosion damaged the No. 1 hatch cover, nearby deck and hull, and multiple containers; the report estimated direct economic loss at about CNY 90 million.
- All 20 crew members evacuated ashore by about 13:54 without casualties.
Narrative
The machine-translated China MSA report anonymizes the vessel as ship "M", but its IMO number and particulars match YM Mobility. The vessel sailed from Shanghai on 7 August 2024 and berthed at Ningbo Beilun Second Container Terminal at about 03:12 on 9 August. At about 13:30, a deck patrol noticed an abnormal odor near the bow. At about 13:31, a sailor found white smoke, a yellowish liquid leak and a hissing sound from container MWCU6639680. The smoke intensified, the bridge fire alarm was activated and personnel at the bow were evacuated.
At 13:46:30, the TBPB container exploded and burned. Three nearby containers disintegrated, two fell onto the dock and shore, four fell into the sea, and additional containers caught fire. All 20 crew were ashore by about 13:54. Emergency response continued through 11 August and stabilized the fire without casualties. The report concluded that heat from TBPB self-decomposition accumulated inside an unplugged refrigerated container during hot weather, accelerated into thermal runaway and caused the fire and explosion. It assigned responsibility to both the carrier and the shipper for failing to adequately assess that transport risk.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 2024-08-07 | YM Mobility departed Shanghai. |
| 2024-08-09 03:12 | The vessel berthed at Ningbo Beilun Second Container Terminal. |
| 2024-08-09 13:30 | Crew detected an abnormal odor near the bow. |
| 2024-08-09 13:46:30 | The TBPB container caught fire and exploded. |
| 2024-08-09 13:54 | All 20 crew members had evacuated ashore. |
| 2024-08-11 | The emergency response stabilized and extinguished the remaining fire. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| TBPB thermal instability | Confirmed finding | TBPB self-decomposed, generated heat and entered thermal runaway inside the container. |
| Unplugged refrigerated container | Confirmed finding | The insulated, closed container retained heat during hot-weather transport. |
| Carrier and shipper risk assessment | Confirmed finding | The investigation found that the carrier and shipper did not adequately assess the transport risk. |
Investigation
China MSA investigated the fire and explosion. The machine-translated report identifies the vessel as ship "M"; the IMO number and vessel particulars match YM Mobility. It concluded that TBPB thermal runaway in an unplugged refrigerated container caused the fire and explosion and estimated direct economic loss at about CNY 90 million.
References
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