Cargo ship fire: Indian Coast Guard deploys three ships for firefighting operation

The Indian Coast Guard’s (ICG) three ships are conducting a firefighting operation after a major fire broke out on the MV Maersk Frankfurt cargo ship near Karwar, Karnataka, which carries dangerous international maritime goods, on Friday.

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ships Sujeet and Samrat have augmented firefighting efforts and the operation is currently being conducted by three ICG Ships Sujeet, Sachet, and Samrat.

Persistent efforts by the ships for more than 12 hours have prevented the fire from spreading further.

In its latest update, the Indian Coast Guard said “India Coast Guard Ships Sujeet, Sachet and Samrat have been fighting the fire for over 12 hours, preventing its spread. As of 0700 hrs, 20 Jul, the vessel is 6.5 NM south of Karwar, ICG Dornier aircraft from Goa is conducting aerial assessments, with an additional aircraft from Kochi positioned for Search And Rescue. ETV Water Lily departed Mumbai on 19 Jul, arriving on scene by 21 Jul.”

Late on Friday night, the Indian Coast Guard control room in Mumbai received a distress call from container carrier MV Maersk Frankfurt 50 NM off Karwar regarding a major fire onboard. ICG Dornier and ships Sachet, Sujeet and Samrat were immediately pressed into action. An additional aircraft was also mobilized to augment Search and Rescue efforts. The Coast Guard said that firefighting was in progress to avert ecological disaster and ensure the safety of the vessel and crew.

As of 7 a.m. on July 20, 2024, the Maersk Frankfurt is positioned 6.5 nautical miles south of Karwar. The vessel has been advised to alter course away from land and is currently heading on course 180 at a speed of 6 knots.

However, prevailing south-westerly winds and heavy swells are posing challenges in firefighting operations. Earlier on Friday, a fire broke out on a container cargo merchant vessel about 102 nautical miles southwest of Goa.

In visuals, huge flames of fire can be seen gushing out of container ships while ICG ships are throwing water to douse flames.

Notably, ICG is carrying out firefighting operations on the ship, which carries dangerous international maritime goods amid bad weather and heavy rains.