Taiwanese shipping company Yang Ming has announced that General Average has been declared for its vessel, YM Mobility, following a powerful explosion that occurred on 9 August 2024 while the container ship was berthed at Phase III Terminal of Ningbo Port, China.

“Apparently, the incident has given rise to General Average and the shipowners have decided to declare General Average (GA) and have appointed Richards Hogg Lindley to collect the necessary GA securities from the concerned in cargo, etc,” Yang Ming said in a customer advisory.

Yang Ming has issued a notice to cargo owners detailing the security requirements and included the necessary forms to expedite the process. The company urges all concerned parties to contact the appointed adjuster promptly to ensure the smooth release of cargo and to prevent any unnecessary delays.

General Average is a maritime principle that requires all stakeholders in a sea voyage, including cargo owners, to proportionately share the costs associated with the incident.

The explosion originated from cargo containers located in the bow area of YM Mobility, prompting an immediate response from local port authorities. Firefighting operations were quickly initiated, and the fire was extinguished. However, the extent of the damage necessitated further inspections, which are currently ongoing.

The exact cause of the incident is under investigation. Preliminary reports indicated that the explosion originated from a container loaded with dangerous goods, including lithium batteries and parabens, which had been declared as a reefer but was being used as a dry container.

YM Mobility, a 2011-built Post Panamax vessel with a capacity of 6,589 TEU, was operating on the AG2 service between the Far East and the Middle East Gulf region, a string managed by THE Alliance members including Yang Ming, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, HMM, and ONE.

The Ningbo Beilun Phase III Terminal resumed operations on August 12 after being closed over the weekend due to the explosion.

Taiwanese shipping company Yang Ming has announced that General Average has been declared for its vessel, YM Mobility, following a powerful explosion that occurred on 9 August 2024 while the container ship was berthed at Phase III Terminal of Ningbo Port, China.

“Apparently, the incident has given rise to General Average and the shipowners have decided to declare General Average (GA) and have appointed Richards Hogg Lindley to collect the necessary GA securities from the concerned in cargo, etc,” Yang Ming said in a customer advisory.

Yang Ming has issued a notice to cargo owners detailing the security requirements and included the necessary forms to expedite the process. The company urges all concerned parties to contact the appointed adjuster promptly to ensure the smooth release of cargo and to prevent any unnecessary delays.

General Average is a maritime principle that requires all stakeholders in a sea voyage, including cargo owners, to proportionately share the costs associated with the incident.

The explosion originated from cargo containers located in the bow area of YM Mobility, prompting an immediate response from local port authorities. Firefighting operations were quickly initiated, and the fire was extinguished. However, the extent of the damage necessitated further inspections, which are currently ongoing.

The exact cause of the incident is under investigation. Preliminary reports indicated that the explosion originated from a container loaded with dangerous goods, including lithium batteries and parabens, which had been declared as a reefer but was being used as a dry container.

YM Mobility, a 2011-built Post Panamax vessel with a capacity of 6,589 TEU, was operating on the AG2 service between the Far East and the Middle East Gulf region, a string managed by THE Alliance members including Yang Ming, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, HMM, and ONE.

The Ningbo Beilun Phase III Terminal resumed operations on August 12 after being closed over the weekend due to the explosion.