Re M/V MSC Flaminia – US District Ct (SDNY) (Katherine B Forrest DJ) – 10 September 2018

Carriage of goods by sea – Dangerous goods – Explosion and fire on board vessel carrying divinylbenzene – Cargo claims brought against numerous parties – Whether strict liability – Whether liability in negligence and breach of contract

On 14July 2012 an explosion and fire broke out in one of the holds of the vessel MSC Flaminia as she was crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a laden voyage from New Orleans to Antwerp. As a result of the explosion and a fire, three members of the crew were killed, thousands of cargo containers were destroyed, and the vessel was seriously damaged.