A CREWMAN has died on the 5,920-TEU Maersk Frankfurt, which continues to smoulder about 17 miles from Karwar, of India's south west coast said the Indian Coast Guard, reports the Times of India.
The fire, which has been on for days, is suspected to have begun because of a short circuit. The fire then started spreading to the cargo classified as International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) that was on board.
Coast guard ships Sachet, Sujeet and Samrat are actively engaged in firefighting operations to bring the blaze under control.
There were 21 crew members onboard the vessel when the fire began, followed by explosions. The victim was a Filipino crew member. The Emergency Towing vessel (ETV) Water Lily is expected to arrive on site on Wednesday along with the specialised pollution control vessel ICGS Samudra Prahari.
'The fire in the forepart of the vessel has been suppressed, but heavy smoke continues to emanate. Unfortunately, the fire has reignited amidships,' said a coast guard officer.
'Continuous efforts are being made to control and extinguish the fire,' the officer said.A coast guard Dornier aircraft and an advanced light helicopter conducted aerial assessments of the fire-stricken vessel based on which, the coast guard has decided to deploy Dry Chemical powder (DCP) to completely douse the fire.
The coast guard district headquarters in Goa will provide the DCP bags and balls, which will be used for the firefighting operations.
'At present, there is no requirement for the evacuation of the crew. The master of the vessel has indicated that anchoring is not feasible due to the inaccessibility of the forecastle area, which has been compromised by melting containers, posing significant risks to the crew,' said the coast guard official.
The vessel was advised to alter course away from land. The prevailing south-westerly winds and heavy swells remain a challenge for firefighting operations. An additional coast guard aircraft has been positioned from Kochi to Goa to augment search and rescue (SAR) operations and manage further contingencies. Continuous monitoring and response efforts are under way.
SeaNews Turkey
The fire, which has been on for days, is suspected to have begun because of a short circuit. The fire then started spreading to the cargo classified as International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) that was on board.
Coast guard ships Sachet, Sujeet and Samrat are actively engaged in firefighting operations to bring the blaze under control.
There were 21 crew members onboard the vessel when the fire began, followed by explosions. The victim was a Filipino crew member. The Emergency Towing vessel (ETV) Water Lily is expected to arrive on site on Wednesday along with the specialised pollution control vessel ICGS Samudra Prahari.
'The fire in the forepart of the vessel has been suppressed, but heavy smoke continues to emanate. Unfortunately, the fire has reignited amidships,' said a coast guard officer.
'Continuous efforts are being made to control and extinguish the fire,' the officer said.A coast guard Dornier aircraft and an advanced light helicopter conducted aerial assessments of the fire-stricken vessel based on which, the coast guard has decided to deploy Dry Chemical powder (DCP) to completely douse the fire.
The coast guard district headquarters in Goa will provide the DCP bags and balls, which will be used for the firefighting operations.
'At present, there is no requirement for the evacuation of the crew. The master of the vessel has indicated that anchoring is not feasible due to the inaccessibility of the forecastle area, which has been compromised by melting containers, posing significant risks to the crew,' said the coast guard official.
The vessel was advised to alter course away from land. The prevailing south-westerly winds and heavy swells remain a challenge for firefighting operations. An additional coast guard aircraft has been positioned from Kochi to Goa to augment search and rescue (SAR) operations and manage further contingencies. Continuous monitoring and response efforts are under way.
SeaNews Turkey
