German shipowner Oltmann D GmbH & Co KG has officially confirmed that the container vessel STRATFORD has declared general average.

The shipowners have subsequently declared General Average as a consequence of the extra-ordinary costs incurred for the common safety of the maritime adventure.

On July 28, a severe fire broke out in containers aboard the STRATFORD (IMO 9305491) while the ship was sailing approximately 190 nautical miles northwest of Yongshu Reef in the Nansha Islands.

The vessel was deployed on the China-India core route (CIX3), calling at multiple Chinese ports with Colombo, Nhava Sheva, and Pipava in India as destination ports.

Multiple carriers share space on the ship, including CMA CGM, COSCO, OOCL, ZIM, and PIL, involving a substantial volume of cargo.

The shipowner has appointed German adjusting firm Groninger Welker Janssen as the general average adjuster to oversee loss assessment and coordinate the contribution process.

AIS data shows that the STRATFORD arrived in Hong Kong, China, on August 20.

With the declaration of general average, all interested parties—including the shipowner and cargo owners—are required to contribute to losses proportionally based on the value of their property. Undamaged cargo on board will face delays due to incident-related procedures, affecting the supply chain plans of shippers.