MSC Hermes III abandoned off Vietnam and declared a derelict adrift
All 25 crew were recovered from a lifeboat by MSC Ruby; the 2,490 teu feeder remains afloat and unmanned
The containership MSC Hermes III (IMO 9350317) remains afloat and drifting unmanned in the South China Sea after all 25 crew abandoned her on 22 September. A HYDROPAC navigational warning now describes the Liberia-registered ship as a "derelict" vessel adrift near 11°45'N 112°15'E, around 300 km east of Vietnam.
Singapore's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre received the distress alert at about 08:45 Singapore time on 22 September, with the ship inside Singapore's maritime search and rescue region. The centre broadcast a request for nearby vessels to assist, and three responded. MSC Ruby (IMO 9502960), a 13,000 teu containership, reached the position and recovered all 25 crew from the lifeboat in which they had left the ship. No injuries were reported. The centre said "arrangements are being made with the Vietnamese MRCC to land the crew."
MSC Hermes III was running a regional feeder service for MSC. The carrier's online schedule had her sailing from Shanghai to Jakarta before returning to Singapore. When the crew left her she was in a busy shipping lane about 160 nautical miles east of Vietnam, north of Ho Chi Minh City.
No explanation has been given for why the crew abandoned ship. The 38,193 dwt vessel was built in 2006 and acquired by MSC in 2020. She is 212 metres long with a capacity of 2,490 teu.
Her port state control record shows no significant issues. An inspection at Le Havre last year cited mostly paperwork, and she has not been cited for issues at several other recent inspections.
AIS signals on 22 September showed the ship still afloat, with MSC Ruby standing by and at least two other MSC containerships in the vicinity. MSC has not commented on the cause, and it is not yet clear whether a salvage effort is being launched. The warning alerts other traffic to an unmanned hull drifting in a busy shipping lane.
The casualty follows two high-profile incidents in the MSC fleet in 2025. MSC Baltic III blacked out off Newfoundland in February of that year; her crew had to be airlifted off, and the ship was driven ashore in a winter storm, where salvage is still under way. In May 2025 MSC Elsa 3 took on a list off the west coast of India and sank after her crew had been rescued.
This story is part of the Maritime Briefing of 25 September 2026.
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