There was a tragic event: a great fire started on the container cargo merchant ship 102 nautical miles southwest of Goa on Friday. The vessel was in transit from Mundra in the Indian state of Gujarat to the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo.
When informed, the ICG topped up a ship to the sinking vessel and an aircraft Dornier for a bird’ s-eye view. The ICG was informed that the ship was loaded with hazardous goods; IMDG and blast initiations were noted at the front of the ship.
In this case, an ICG ship booked to respond to the oil spill anchored in the region and started dousing the fire on the water shortly after setting afloat due to unfavourable environmental weather conditions on the sea. The statement released by the Coast Guard also mentioned that the crew panicked before they were assured of their well-being.
Two more ICG ships were sent to the site of the fire from Goa in a bid to increase the strength of the team involved in combating the fire. The Coast Guard’s actions and coordination are vital in dousing the fire and protecting the crew members’ lives.
This occurred barely a week after the Coast Guard, on a similar mission, was able to evacuate eleven crew members from a grounded fishing vessel near the Kerala coast. The ICG, despite adverse weather, physically undertook de-flooding measures to evacuate the fishermen back to the shore.
It has therefore become pertinent that the Indian Coast Guard is not only a critical response entity to immediate maritime disasters but is vital for safeguarding the many seafarers and its long coastline.
