German accident investigators have drawn a link between fires on two ultra-large containerships in the Elbe estuary and the Red Sea.

Both incidents involve containers loaded with charcoal, a cargo that is not categorised under international guidelines as hazardous when being shipped.

In November 2015, a fire was detected and extinguished on the 12,400-teu MSC Katrina (built 2012) as it sailed up the Elbe in northwest Germany.