Fire onboard merchant vessel Maersk Frankfurt near by south of Karwar: ICG firefighting operation continues
New Delhi, 20 Jul 24: The Indian Coast Guard continues its firefighting efforts onboard the merchant vessel Maersk Frankfurt. In addition to the ICG ships combating the blaze, ICG helicopters have now been deployed to support the operation. An ICG Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) has air-dropped around 150 kg of Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) directly onto the seat of the fire in an effort to prevent it from spreading further.
Visuals from the firefighting effort can provide more insight into the situation. Please share the visuals if you need any specific analysis or assistance related to them.
Upon arriving at the scene, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ships Sujeet and Samrat have augmented firefighting efforts. The firefighting operation is currently being conducted by three ICG Ships Sujeet, Sachetand Samrat. Persistent efforts by the ships for more than 12 hours has prevented the fire from spreading further.
As of 0700 hours on 20 Jul 2024, the Maersk Frankfurt is positioned 6.5 nautical miles south of Karwar. The vessel has been advised to alter course away from land and is currently heading on course 180 at a speed of 6 knots. However, prevailing south-westerly winds and heavy swells are posing challenges in fire fighting operations.
The Coast Guard Dornier was launched from Goa at first light for aerial assessment of area. An additional Coast Guard aircraft has been positioned from Kochi to Goa to augment search and rescue (SAR) operations and manage further contingencies.
The Emergency Towing vessel (ETV) Water Lily departed from Mumbai on the evening of 19 Jul 2024 and is expected to arrive at the scene of action by the evening of 21 Jul 2024.
