Vestfonn being rescued by the Indian Coast Guard. (Source: Express Photo by Rashmi Rajput)
A major fire broke out in the engine room of an offshore supply vessel, which had 33 crew members on board, on Sunday afternoon about 200 kilometres west of Mumbai. There were no casualties. All crew members were evacuated except five who remained on board to monitor the situation.
“By about 7.30 pm, the fire on board was controlled and the ship is being towed by another ONGC ship Malviya 24. The situation is being monitored,” a Coast Guard spokesperson said in a statement.
The Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) at Mumbai received a distress alert from a supply vessel, Vestfonn, at 2.20 pm informing of a blazing fire in the engine room. The regional headquarters of the Coast Guard in Mumbai diverted its aircraft on surveillance from the Daman Air Station to assess the situation. The MRCC also coordinated with the ships in the vicinity, offshore support vessels BS Negi and Ocean Diamond, for help.
“The Coast Guard aircraft communicated with the vessel to obviate any emerging panic and also with the vessels in the vicinity to render assistance,” the spokesperson said.
Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Achook, the vessel on patrol, was also diverted to provide assistance, and ICGS Sankalp and ICGS Samudra Prahari, which are equipped with major fire fighting as well as pollution control capabilities have been sailed with dispatch, he added.
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