A 5,593 TEU Liberian-flagged HMM containership caught fire off Madagascar's southern tip while carrying roughly 2,300 containers, forcing salvor SMIT to step in under Lloyd's Open Form and pushing shippers toward a likely general average declaration.

HMM Platinum, built in 2013, was sailing from Kattupalli, India, to Santos, Brazil, when a container blaze ignited near Lavanono, at the southern extremity of Madagascar. Cargo claims specialist WK Webster pinpointed the location in its own casualty notice and warned that some of the cargo on board is temperature-sensitive.

The vessel had been projected to reach Durban on October 8, but the latest advisory from claims specialist W.E. Cox confirmed Gqeberha — formerly Port Elizabeth — has emerged as a probable port of refuge. Durban is now sidelined while alternative arrangements run in parallel, the advisory said.

What does the casualty mean for cargo interests?

• W.E. Cox warned the damage to the ship and its containers could be substantial and that a declaration of general average is considered likely.
• General average allows carriers and cargo owners to share losses from voluntary sacrifice or extraordinary expense — firefighting, salvage and port-of-refuge costs.
• Cargo interests typically must post security before boxes are released at the port of refuge.
• Reefer boxes flagged by WK Webster face spoilage risk from reefer plant downtime, power interruption and inspection queues once the call begins.

Who is coordinating the response?

• SMIT is salvage contractor under Lloyd's Open Form, an industry-standard casualty contract invoked when ships and cargo need outside assistance.
• W.E. Cox is handling cargo-claims liaison, briefing cargo underwriters, charterers and container line interests.
• WK Webster is publishing a parallel casualty notice flagging reefer exposure.

Commercial fallout for shippers, HMM and the lane

• HMM Platinum carried around 2,300 containers when the fire started; surveyors have not yet boarded, so the count of damaged units remains unknown.
• HMM will absorb salvage, repair and off-hire costs pending insurance recovery. The 5,593 TEU boxship is out of service until further notice.
• The diversion removes a mid-sized unit from the South America trade, tightening capacity on the Kattupalli–Santos service until repairs and casualty formalities resolve.
• Forwarders with Santos-bound cargo may need to substitute tonnage, tranship via alternative hubs, or absorb schedule slippage on bookings already in the market.

A general average declaration is the next milestone for the casualty. W.E. Cox expects the declaration once HMM Platinum reaches a safe berth in South Africa and surveyors complete boarding and damage assessment — a process expected to take time given the casualty's scale and the size of the container stack.