Oil Tanker With 14 Indian Crew Catches Fire In Gulf Of Oman; Indian Navy Responds Swiftly

A massive fire broke out on the oil tanker MT Yi Cheng 6 in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday, June 29, while the vessel was sailing from Kandla Port in India to Shinas in Oman.

The ship had 14 crew members of Indian origin onboard. The fire started in the engine room, and the vessel also suffered a total power failure, leaving it stranded at sea.

Responding quickly to the emergency, Indian naval ship INS Tabar, which was already deployed in the Gulf of Oman for maritime security, launched a rescue and firefighting mission.

The Indian Navy confirmed that the distress signal was received from the Pulau-flagged tanker on June 29, and immediate action was taken.

As per the Navy, firefighting equipment and personnel were transferred from INS Tabar to the oil vessel using the ship’s boat and a helicopter. A team of 13 naval personnel and 5 crew members from MT Yi Cheng 6 worked together to control the blaze onboard.

The Navy said that the intensity of the fire has been drastically reduced, although efforts to fully contain it are still in progress. The firefighting team continues to operate on the vessel to ensure the fire is completely brought under control.

In a statement shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the Navy mentioned that the Pulau-flagged vessel had reported a major engine room fire and total power failure during its international voyage.

It confirmed that personnel and firefighting gear from INS Tabar were transferred onboard the distressed ship through boats and helicopters.

This is the second such incident in recent weeks where the Indian Navy stepped in to help a vessel in distress. Earlier this month, the Navy carried out a similar emergency operation when the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503 caught fire near the Kerala coast on June 9.

The MV Wan Hai 503 was travelling from Colombo to Mumbai when one of its containers exploded, causing a major fire. Despite rough weather and strong winds, a salvage team was airlifted by a Seaking helicopter from the Southern Naval Command in Kochi and lowered onto the burning cargo vessel. The team began firefighting efforts and prepared the ship for towing to prevent it from drifting toward land.

References: news18, newindianexpress

Source: Maritime Shipping News