MSC sues CargoLoop over 2023 fire aboard the "MSC Carlotta" carrying electric vehicles

MSC has filed a lawsuit against the American vehicle logistics company CargoLoop, claiming $273,000 for damages incurred in 2023 aboard the "MSC Carlotta" when a shipment of electric vehicles caught fire.

According to the lawsuit, the fire originated aboard the container ship "MSC Carlotta" (IMO 9756731), flagged in Liberia, while it was on a voyage between California and Lithuania. At that time, two CargoLoop containers carrying used and previously damaged electric vehicles caught fire, causing damage to the ship.

The cargo documentation indicated that it contained hazardous materials, information that MSC was aware of and still accepted. The vehicles had been stowed in 40-foot containers using wooden structures that allowed stacking cars on top of each other.

MSC claims that the fire started in the early morning of September 2, 2023, while the ship was sailing off the coast of Baja California. The fire began in one of the containers and subsequently spread to a second CargoLoop container that was also carrying electric vehicles.

The flames and the water used to extinguish the fire caused damage to other nearby containers. Although the crew managed to control the fire, the ship had to divert to a port in Mexico to unload and inspect the affected containers.

According to the investigation presented by MSC, the most likely origin of the fire is in the area where a 2018 Tesla Model S was being transported, situated on top of a 2012 Ford Focus.

The shipping company believes that the wooden structure used to secure the vehicles may have given way during the voyage, causing the Tesla to fall onto the other car and damage its battery, which would have triggered the fire. Additionally, it asserts that a similar problem was detected in the structure of another CargoLoop container during the same trip.

As alternative hypotheses, MSC also suggests that the batteries may have been damaged during handling with forklifts or that not all safety measures were followed, such as disconnecting the batteries of the vehicles before transport.

So far, CargoLoop has not made any public statements regarding the allegations made by the shipping company.

Photo: Vessel Finder (Erwin Willemse)