The incident
Surveillance footage timestamped at about 1:46 pm on Friday 9 August 2024 showed smoke rising from the ship, followed by a large blast that started a fire and scattered debris. The vessel was reportedly berthed at the Ningbo Phase 3 terminal in the Beilun port area of Ningbo-Zhoushan. A container on board is believed to have caused the explosion, and some reports said the cargo involved was glycerine.
The Ningbo Maritime Search and Rescue Centre activated its emergency plan, sending patrol boats, three fire tugs and shore-based fire units to the scene.
The ship
The YM Mobility is a Liberia-flagged container ship built in 2011. It is owned by Taiwanese carrier Yang Ming and has a capacity of 6,589 TEU.
What shippers should take from it
Incidents like this are rare, but they show why two things matter:
- Correct declaration of dangerous goods. Hazardous cargo must be classified, packed and declared correctly, with a dangerous goods declaration. Misdeclared cargo puts ships, crews and ports at risk.
- Cargo insurance. When a ship is damaged, cargo owners can face losses and even contributions under general average. Read our article on the role of insurance in freight forwarding.
Our ocean freight and freight forwarding teams check classification and documents before hazardous cargo is booked. For container options, see our guide to container types.
