The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) turned out to be the first responder after receiving a distress call from the fishing boat Durga Bhavani, which caught fire following a cooking gas cylinder explosion in the Bay of Bengal on Friday afternoon, officials said on Saturday.

Upon receiving the call, the Coast Guard diverted its ship, ‘Veera,’ to assist the fishermen stranded mid-sea, about 65 nautical miles from Visakhapatnam in the Bay of Bengal.

Nine fishermen were injured in the incident, which occurred while preparing lunch. All, with severe burn injuries, were rescued by the ICG, provided with immediate first aid by the medical team on the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Veera, and brought to Visakhapatnam.

The nine fishermen had ventured into the sea for fishing. The incident occurred 50 miles from the Visakhapatnam coast, as confirmed by ICGS Commandant VR Prakash.

“As per the information from the Coast Guard, the ICGS Veera rushed to the spot for the rescue operation. All the crew of the fishing boat escaped with minor injuries. No casualties have been reported. The ICGS team provided first aid and is bringing them to the Visakhapatnam coast,” ICG said on Friday.

All survivors were shifted to a hospital for further medical treatment, they added.