The Indian Coast Guard deployed three ships to combat a major fire on the MV Maersk Frankfurt near Karwar, Karnataka.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) deployed three ships to conduct a firefighting operation after a major fire broke out on the MV Maersk Frankfurt cargo ship near Karwar, Karnataka, on Friday. The ship was carrying dangerous international maritime goods. Indian Coast Guard Ships Sujeet, Sachet, and Samrat Sujeet, Sachet, and Samrat augmented the firefighting efforts.
Persistent efforts by the ships for over 12 hours prevented the fire from spreading further. In its latest update, the Indian Coast Guard stated, “Indian Coast Guard ships 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. An ICG Dornier aircraft from Goa conducted aerial assessments, with an additional aircraft from Kochi positioned for search and rescue. The ETV Water Lily departed Mumbai on July 19 and arrived on the scene by July 21.”
Late on Friday night, the Indian Coast Guard control room in Mumbai received a distress call from the MV Maersk Frankfurt, located 50 NM off Karwar, regarding a major fire onboard. ICG Dornier and the ships Sachet, Sujeet, and Samrat were immediately pressed into action. An additional aircraft was mobilised to augment search and rescue efforts. The Coast Guard reported that firefighting was in progress to avert ecological disasters and ensure the safety of the vessel and crew.
As of 7 a.m. on July 20, 2024, the Maersk Frankfurt was positioned 6.5 nautical miles south of Karwar. The vessel was advised to alter course away from land and was heading on course 180 at a speed of 6 knots. However, prevailing south-westerly winds and heavy swells posed challenges to the firefighting operations. Visuals showed huge flames gushing out of the container ship while ICG ships were throwing water to douse the flames. Notably, the ICG was carrying out firefighting operations on the ship, which carried dangerous international maritime goods amid bad weather and heavy rains.
