Fire Contained on Merchant Vessel near Karwar Coast

A fire on the Maersk Frankfurt merchant vessel off Karwar's coast took over 24 hours to control. The crew comprises 21 members, with one still missing. The Indian Coast Guard deployed multiple resources, including ships and helicopters, to tackle the fire. Dangerous cargo onboard posed additional risks.

A fire on the Maersk Frankfurt merchant vessel off the Karwar coast has been controlled after more than 24 hours, though one of the ship's 21 crew members remains missing, according to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Saturday.

Three ICG ships were dispatched for firefighting after a distress message was received about the fire at 2.10 pm on Friday. The vessel is currently 17 miles from Karwar in Karnataka.

The ship, carrying 1,154 containers including hazardous materials like benzene and sodium cyanate, encountered the fire approximately 102 nautical miles southwest of Goa. The ICG deployed its Advanced Offshore Vessel ICG Sachet first, followed by ICG ships Sujeet and Samrat, along with Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv Mark III and a Dornier aircraft to extinguish the fire. The fire is under control, with only white fumes observed, indicating it has been localized.

Efforts faced challenges due to squally winds, poor weather, and low visibility. The ship had 21 crew members from various nationalities, with one Filipino crew member missing and the remaining 20 safe. The Coast Guard ships are rotating to pump out water and spray AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam), while helicopters are deployed to release dry chemicals to extinguish the fire further.

(With inputs from agencies.)