Operations were once again temporarily halted at Dock 1742 of the Port of Antwerp on Wednesday evening on the advice of the fire brigade, terminal operator MPET confirmed.
A fire broke out on Sunday in a container holding phosphorus at the same dock, believed to be the source of the new suspension.
“Security is always our priority,” an MPET spokesperson said on Wednesday night. “The fire brigade and the port’s captain have now given the restart a green light, while further investigations will provide more clarity.”
On Sunday evening, two container terminals at the port had to be closed following an incident involving yellow phosphorus. The container holding the harmful substance was quickly “stabilised” and moved to a safe place.
How the fire started remains unknown. Normally, phosphorus is transported in water to prevent it from coming into contact with (hot) air.
