A crew of 15 reportedly fled the Dutch-flagged ship, in the middle of the sea when its engine room caught fire.
It was traveling between Latvia and Lithuania early this morning, when the crew left the cargo ship in the Gulf of Riga, near the Latvian capital.
The crew members tried to extinguish the fire, but due to unsuccessful attempts, the ship's captain decided to evacuate and leave the ship.
The 168-meter container ship, The Escape, had cargoes weighing around 17,000 tons, said Cor Radings, a spokesman for JR Shipping, adding that the ship consisted of all kinds of cargo.
However, it must be clear whether the container ship is loaded with a dangerous substance.
A contract was signed with the salvage company, to respond to the ongoing incident and secure the ship.
The crew survived unscathed and boarded the nearby Kairit ship, transporting them safely to the Gulf of Livonia.
Two fire-fighting tugboats were sent by the Lithuanian fire department, from the Klaipeda. The main reason of the fire outbreak is not yet known.
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