A container cargo merchant vessel at about 102 nautical miles south west of Goa caught a massive fire on Friday. According to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), the vessel was en route to Sri Lankan capital Colombo from Gujarat's Mundra.
Upon receiving the information, the Indian Coast Guard promptly reached the distressed vessel while a Dornier aircraft was also been deployed for accurate aerial assessment of the situation. Despite inclement weather conditions, the ICG ship arrived and carried out a fire-fighting operation.
It has been told by the ICG that the ship was carrying Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) cargo and the explosions mostly affected the front part of the merchant vessel.
The crew of the distressed cargo ship has been reassured of the safety by the Indian Coast Guard ship. As per the statement, two ICG ships sailed with dispatch from Goa to augment firefighting efforts.
