Blaze on merchant navy ship off Karnataka coast extinguished, says Indian Coast Guard

ICGS Samudra Prahari – a specialised pollution control vessel – and ICGS Sachet, an advanced offshore patrol vessel, are combating small fires on the ship. Pic/Indian Coast Guard

A major fire that broke out on July 19 on a merchant navy ship off the Karwar coast in Karnataka has been doused, the Indian Coast Guard said on Tuesday, adding that efforts are underway to ensure that the affected vessel remains in deep sea as it poses a grave threat to the coastline.

"The vessel is 13 nautical miles west of New Mangalore and is heading towards the open sea," a press release by Indian Coast Guard stated.

The ship, MV Maersk Frankfurt, was carrying 1,154 containers, including some with dangerous cargo such as benzene and sodium cyanate. On July 19, it caught fire around 102 nautical miles off the coast of Goa while on its way from Mundra in Gujarat to Colombo in Sri Lanka. A day later, the ICG confirmed that one crew member had died in the blaze.

The Indian Coast Guard facilitated the embarkation of an initial team, comprising four members (one Indian and three Filipino). The operations continued for the fifth day under extreme weather conditions.

"Due to sustained efforts by ICG ships as first responders, the major fire has been doused, and white smoke is visible with recurrent minor fires due to the content inside containers," the maritime security agency said.

ICGS Samudra Prahari - a specialised pollution control vessel - and ICGS Sachet, an advanced offshore patrol vessel, are combating small fires on the ship.
"Considering the grave threat posed to the Indian coastline, all endeavours are being made to keep the vessel away and well clear from the coast into deeper seas," the Coast Guard's press release added.

The Indian Coast Guard further said the efforts of ICGS Samudra Prahari and ICGS Sachet are augmented by Albattros 5, an OSV charted by the ship managers, and Emergency Towing Vessel (ETV) Water Lily, on contract with DG Shipping. Aerial assessments are being undertaken on a need-based basis.

ICG stated that ship managers Bernhard Schulte Ship Management (Hong Kong) Ltd have contracted M/s SMIT Salvers to undertake salvage operations onboard the distressed vessel.

ICG will remain near the distressed vessel to combat fire re-flash until the arrival of two Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) from abroad. The first vessel is expected on Tuesday evening, and the second vessel by July 28.

According to ICG, firefighting onboard container vessels is one of the major challenges being faced by the global maritime community. Thus, if a fire breaks out inside containers, the firefighting operations require close intervention.

(With PTI inputs)