Investigators are examining the potential causes of a significant explosion aboard the W-Sapphire, a bulk carrier with a deadweight tonnage of 81,681, which occurred on August 18 near the Port of Baltimore. Possible triggers under scrutiny include spontaneous combustion or coal dust ignition, as the ship was laden with coal and headed for Port Louis, Mauritius. Following the incident, the U.S. Coast Guard successfully recovered a 30-ton hatch from the surrounding waters on August 28, leading to the reopening of the Fort McHenry Channel for vessel traffic.
This incident comes on the heels of a serious maritime accident in March 2024, when a container ship named Dali lost power and crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, resulting in the bridge’s collapse. As a consequence, shipping traffic in Baltimore was disrupted for nearly a week after the W-Sapphire explosion, which released an 80-meter plume of smoke that alarmed nearby residents.
Fortunately, all aboard the W-Sapphire, including 23 crew members and two pilots, were reported safe and unharmed. However, this incident highlights a troubling trend of onboard fires at sea, becoming increasingly prevalent since the Höegh Xiamen blaze in June 2020. That particular fire, caused by an electrical arc from a disconnect battery, resulted in over $66 million in damages, affecting both the ship’s structure and its cargo of 2,420 used vehicles.
In subsequent years, several incidents involving onboard fires have raised significant safety concerns regarding the transport of hazardous materials. Notably, the X-Press Pearl, which caught fire off Sri Lanka in May 2021 while carrying dangerous chemicals, sank after burning for nearly two weeks, resulting in a massive environmental disaster. In July 2025, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court deemed this incident one of the worst marine pollution events, ordering the ship’s owners to pay $1 billion in damages.
Similarly, the Felicity Ace registered a catastrophic fire on February 16, 2022, believed to have originated from lithium-ion batteries, leading to the ship sinking and the total loss of its cargo of luxury vehicles. The Freemantle Highway experienced a fire on July 25, 2023, transporting nearly 3,800 vehicles with one loss of life, later managed through towing to shore despite extensive damages.
More recently, the Morning Midas reported a fire on June 3, 2025, while carrying a mix of vehicles, including electric models. The ship sank after an evacuation due to fears that lithium-ion batteries contributed to the blaze.
In light of these incidents, the International Maritime Organization is currently reassessing guidelines for the transport of electric vehicles amid increasing concerns regarding existing firefighting capabilities to handle lithium-ion battery fires at sea. The ongoing examination of these safety protocols underscores the maritime industry’s urgent need to address the dangers associated with cargo transportation, particularly those involving potentially volatile materials.
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