A Maersk container ship with 27 crew members on board, including 13 Indians, caught fire in the Arabian Sea near the Lakshadweep on Tuesday night, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said on Wednesday.
Four of the ship’s crew members are missing while others have been rescued, it said.
The 330-metre-long Maersk Honam was en route to Suez from Singapore. Flames from the main deck rose up to the vessel's bridge (about 25 metres), it said in a statement.
13 of crew are Indians
The vessel reported an explosion and fire on board and requested immediate assistance. The ship was at a distance of 570 km (340 nautical miles) from Agatti. Thirteen of the crew, including the captain, are Indians, it said.
Merchant ship MV Als Cicero reached Maersk Honam at 11.25 p.m. and rescued 23 crew members. The crew had abandoned the ship as the fire spread beyond control, it said.
After getting information about the fire, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbai immediately alerted all the merchant ships near the location through the satellite-based communication network, the International Safety Net (ISN).
“Search operations are on and the Coast Guard assets have been pressed into action,” said Inspector General K.R. Nautiyal, Commander of the Coast Guard West region.
“It is our priority to save and rescue the four missing crew and also continue our efforts to salvage the vessel with the assistance of specialised vessels, which are being arranged,” he said.
