News
Indian Coast Guard fights fire on Colombo-bound container ship with dangerous cargo
View(s):The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was last night battling a major fire onboard the container vessel MV Maersk Frankfurt, which was transporting “dangerous cargo” and was en route to Colombo.
The fire broke out on Friday evening while the vessel was sailing from the port of Mundra in Gujarat.
The Panama-flagged container carrier with a crew of 21 members was scheduled to reach Colombo today and then proceed to Malaysia, Singapore, and China. The crew includes two Ukrainians, 17 Filipinos, one Russian, and one Montenegrin. The captain of the vessel is Ukrainian.
The ICG has deployed three of its vessels, Sachet, Sujeet, and Samrat, along with a Dornier aircraft, to the scene. Additionally, a Sri Lankan vessel is on standby if needed, a Sri Lankan Navy spokesman said.
The MV Maersk Frankfurt was 12 kilometres (6.5 nautical miles) south of Karwar in Karnataka—about 665 nautical miles from Colombo—as of last evening. The ICG reported that the fire in the forepart of the vessel has been suppressed, but heavy smoke persists, and the fire has reignited midship. A pollution control vessel has also been deployed to the location.
ICG helicopters are engaged in firefighting efforts and have air-dropped 150 kg of dry chemical powder to control the blaze. According to a statement from the Danish shipping company Maersk, the vessel is in stable condition, and the safety of the crew remains a top priority. Maersk is in constant communication with the vessel owner and ship managers, although the exact nature of the cargo and the extent of the fire’s impact remain unclear.
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