MV Victoria L - Fire in Engine Room

Photo: Dutch Coast Guard

On the afternoon of April 9, the 161 meter long, 17666 dwt container ship Victoria L (IMO: 9430155) caught fire in the North Sea some 56 kilometers off Scheveningen, Netherlands. The fire started in the vessel’s engine room while en route to Rotterdam from Hamburg without cargo.  The crew attempted to extinguish the blaze, but their efforts were not successful.

Victoria L sent out a distress call  with the Dutch Coast Guard responding. Multiple boats along with a fix-wing aircraft and 2 helicopters were deployed to assist the container ship. A fire brigade was transported by helicopter to the Victoria L. After a few hours after the fire started, the fire fighters were able to extinguish the blaze.

Shortly thereafter, the Victoria L was towed to the Damen shipyard in Amsterdam, where initial cleanup works and an accident investigation were carried out by HLB inspectors and insurance assessors.

The cause of the fire was quickly determined to be a defective auxiliary diesel engine. Because the extreme heat of the fire had significantly damaged several electrical equipment and several steel girders, and a repair time of approximately 70 days was estimated, the insurance company decided to tow the ship to the Bredo shipyard in Bremerhaven for final repairs.

On April 29, 2025, the Victoria L arrived at the Bredo shipyard with the assistance of two tugboats.

HLB Ship Management welcomed the fact that the crew, together with the Coast Guard, brought the fire under control relatively quickly, within the limits of their capabilities, and that no one was injured.

This case demonstrates once again how important ship safety, and especially firefighting on board, is.