Bulker Reports Explosion in Cargo Holds Off North Carolina Coast

The UK-flagged bulker Anglo Marie Louise (114,727 dwt) has returned to an anchorage off Virginia after reports that the bulker suffered an explosion on November 27. There are no indications of injuries to the crew and the vessel remained seaworthy, although according to the report it has suffered damage.

“It is reported that the vessel has sustained damage to the No.1 and No.2 cargo hatches as a result of the explosion,” writes claims consultant WK Webster in its report of the incident. 

The bulker, which was built in 2011 at China New Times Shipyard, departed Baltimore, Maryland on November 23. The explosion occurred while the vessel was approximately 150 nautical miles east of North Carolina on November 27. The vessel has now anchored off Virginia Beach near the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.

The same ship was also involved in an incident in March 2024 when it blacked out while maneuvering on the Mississippi River near New Orleans. A dispatcher from Moran tugboat company detailed the incident in a social media posting reporting the Anglo Marie Louise careened out of control on the river and was heading for the Nashville Avenue wharf. Two tugs were able to intercept the vessel before it hit another docked vessel or the wharf.

Previously, the ship was cited for issues during port state inspections in the early 2020s. Its most recent inspections however reflected no problems.

The vessel is registered in the UK and managed by Anglo Shipping in London. It is 837 feet (255 meters) in length.