Fire on Grimaldi’s Grande Brasile Leaves Vessel Adrift in the English Channel

Photo taken by Manuel Hernandez Lafuente

Rescue teams from France, the Netherlands, and the UK responded to a distress call on February 18 from the Grimaldi vessel Grande Brasile (IMO: 9198123). The vessel reported a fire while southbound in the English Channel. The fire has been extinguished, but the vessel remains adrift with tug and other resources standing by.

The 26,000 dwt ConRo ship issued a distress call at 09:35, according to theUK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). The crew reported a fire onboard and later confirmed a loss of propulsion and steering.

The Malta-flagged vessel, built in 2000, is a combination of a containership and RoRo, a design favored by Grimaldi. The ship was en route from Antwerp, Belgium (BEANR), to Le Havre, France (FRLEH) when the incident occurred approximately 15 nautical miles from Ramsgate, England (GBRMG).

Coordinated Rescue Efforts

The UK MCA requested lifeboats from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), with crews from Dover and Ramsgate launching to assist.

Upon reaching the vessel, rescue teams confirmed that all 28 crew members were safe and accounted for, with no reported injuries. The fire had been contained to one deck, and the onboard fire suppression system had been activated. Lifeboat crews remained on standby but were not required to board the ship before being cleared to return to station.

The Dutch CoastGuard deployed a surveillance aircraft to monitor the situation, while the French rescue vessel Abeille Normandie (IMO: 9442421) and the Dutch tug Multratug 35 (IMO: 9964039) arrived on scene.

Previous Fire Incident on a Grimaldi Vessel

This incident follows a similar fire aboard the Grimaldi ConRo Grande Costa d’Avorio (IMO:9458984) in July 2023 while loading in Port Newark, New Jersey (USPNJ). The fire burned for several days and resulted in the deaths of two firefighters. In addition, it caused extensive damage to the vessel’s garage section. Investigators believe a pusher vehicle used to position cars may have caused the fire, prompting the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to issue a safety warning regarding the risks of transporting used vehicles. The vessel was repaired and returned to service, though the final report on the fire is still pending.