Three Indian Coast Guard ships were engaged in a fierce battle against a major fire that erupted on Saturday aboard a cargo vessel in the Arabian Sea. The incident unfolded after the organization received a distress call. The vessel, MV Maersk Frankfurt, had reported explosions on its front deck on Friday, while en route from India’s Gujarat state to Colombo in Sri Lanka, approximately 6.5 nautical miles (12 kilometers) south of Karwar.
The Indian Coast Guard, in a statement released on Saturday via the social media platform X, reported that their ships, Sujeet, Sachet, and Samrat, had been valiantly fighting the blaze for over 12 hours, successfully containing its spread. The statement was accompanied by images and videos showcasing the ongoing firefighting efforts. Thankfully, no casualties were reported from the merchant vessel.
The coast guard further indicated that a Donier aircraft was conducting aerial assessments to monitor the situation, and an additional plane was strategically positioned for search and rescue operations. A separate ship was also dispatched from Mumbai and expected to join the firefighting operation by Sunday.
The Indian Express newspaper, quoting an unnamed coast guard spokesperson, reported that the MV Maersk Frankfurt was carrying International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) cargo. It emphasized that the firefighting operation was being carried out under challenging conditions, amidst rough seas and inclement weather.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday, the Indian navy had successfully rescued nine crew members and recovered one body from the Comorian-flagged MV Prestige Falcon oil tanker, which had capsized off the coast of Oman.
