The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is actively combating a fire on the merchant vessel Maersk Frankfurt, located 17 miles off the coast of Karwar, Karnataka. The initial fire in the forepart of the vessel has been suppressed, but heavy smoke continues to emanate. Unfortunately, the fire has reignited in the midship area.
ICG ships Sachet, Sujeet, and Samrat are engaged in continuous firefighting operations. A Coast Guard Dornier aircraft conducted an aerial assessment of the situation, and an ALH Dhruv helicopter was launched from New Mangalore for Goa to assess the vessel enroute and evaluate the feasibility of deploying Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) bags.
Coast Guard District Headquarters No. 11 (Goa) is arranging the provision of DCP bags and balls to aid in firefighting operations. The specialized pollution control vessel, Samudra Prahari, is being deployed to provide further assistance.
Currently, there is no need for the crew to evacuate. The Master of the vessel indicated that anchoring is not feasible due to the inaccessibility of the forecastle area, compromised by melting containers.
The ICG remains committed to ensuring the safety of the crew and the vessel while mitigating the impact of the incident on maritime safety and the environment. Continuous monitoring and response efforts are underway.
Late Friday night, the ICG control room in Mumbai received a distress call from MV Maersk Frankfurt, reporting a major fire 50 nautical miles off Karwar. ICG Dornier and ships Sachet, Sujeet, and Samrat were immediately dispatched, and an additional aircraft was mobilized to augment Search and Rescue efforts. The Coast Guard is working to avert an ecological disaster and ensure the safety of the vessel and crew.