A major fire broke out in Coastal Jaguar, an offshore support vessel, in Visakhapatnam on Monday. No casualties were reported; however, one crew member is still reported missing. The vessel was carrying 29 crew members. Though many suffered burn injuries, they were rescued.
Visuals accessed by TNM show the dramatic rescue operation. The crew had jumped into the water to escape the fire, and the rescuers threw them lifesavers and pulled them onboard.
The incident occurred around 11.30 am, according to a press release from the Indian Coast Guard Service (ICGS). The reason for the outbreak of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
Visuals of a dramatic rescue as fire breaks out on board a ship off the coast of Vizag. The Indian Coast Guard said that 28 out of 29 people in board were rescued as of now. Cause of fire yet to be established @thenewsminute pic.twitter.com/7BFR5JIXdw
— Nitin Bhaskaran (@NitinBGoode) August 12, 2019
ICGS said that the crew heard a loud explosion and saw that a huge fire had engulfed the vessel. In a bid to save themselves, the crew jumped into the water.
Fortunately, Rani Rashmoni, a Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV), which was close by was sent to the rescue. Along with the FPV, boats from the Visakhapatnam Port Trust were sent to douse the fire and rescue the crew.
The ICGS has also pressed in a fast interceptor craft, helicopter and a vessel, Samudra Paheredar, to help with the rescue operations.
The injured crew were rushed to the hospital. The fire department was also called in to contain the fire.
Earlier in March this year, Sagar Sampada, a research vessel belonging to the Shipping Corporation of India carrying 46 people, was caught in a fire off the Mangaluru coast in Karnataka. However, fortunately, no casualties were reported, and the ICGS had rescued all the crew onboard. The ship was reportedly carrying 30 crew members and 16 scientists.