Major fire on merchant navy ship off Karnataka coast doused: Coast Guard

A major fire that broke out on July 19 on a merchant navy ship off the Karwar coast has been doused and efforts are underway to ensure the affected vessel remains in deep sea considering the grave threat posed to the coastline, the Coast Guard said on Tuesday. "The vessel is presently 13 nautical miles west of New Mangalore and heading towards open sea," the ICG stated in a release.

MV Maersk Frankfurt, carrying 1,154 containers, including some with dangerous cargo like benzene and sodium cyanate, had caught fire some 102 nautical miles off the coast of Goa while on its way from Mundra in Gujarat to Colombo in Sri Lanka. One crew member died in the blaze, a Coast Guard official had said on Sunday.

The ICG said it has facilitated the embarkation of an initial team, comprising four members- one Indian and three Filipino.


"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 Indian coastline, all endeavours are being made to maintain the vessel away and well clear from the coast into deeper seas," the Coast Guard added.