Offshore support vessel on fire, 1 missing 28 rescued

One crew member was missing and 28 others were rescued from the offshore support vessel “Coastal Jaguar,” off the Visakhapatnam coast on Monday around 11.30 am, after it caught fire following a loud explosion.

The crew members saved themselves by jumping into the water, abandoning the vessel. The search is on to rescue the missing crew member.

According to a Coast Guard spokesperson, the crew had to abandon their vessel to save themselves from the fire which engulfed the vessel. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

ICGS (Indian Coast Guard Ship) Rani Rashmoni, which was in the area, was diverted to coordinate the rescue operations. Rani, in coordination with the VPT (Visakhapatnam Port Trust) boat, rescued the distressed crew. 28 of the 29 crew onboard have been rescued. Search for the missing crew is on progress.

ICGS Samudra Peheredar, ICG Helicopter and ICGS C 432 were pressed into action to further augment the rescue efforts. Dramatic scenes of the crew jumping into the sea to save themselves and the rescue operations by the ships were witnessed. Coastguard vessels used water cannons to douse the fire during the rescue operation.

Five members of the crew, who received more than 70% burn injuries have been rushed to the naval hospital.