Oil Vessel With 14 Indian Crew Catches Fire In Gulf Of Oman, INS Tabar Leads Rescue Ops
According to the Indian Navy, the oil vessel was going from India's Kandla to Oman's Shinas when a fire broke out in the engine room and a total power failure on June 29.
A massive fire broke out in an oil vessel, named MT Yi Cheng 6, with 14 crew members of Indian origin onboard in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday. Responding to the distress call, an Indian Naval ship, INS Tabar, deployed in the gulf for maritime security operations provided immediate assistance.
According to the Indian Navy, the oil vessel was going from India's Kandla to Oman's Shinas when a fire broke out in the engine room and a total power failure on June 29.
'Indian Navy's stealth frigate INS Tabar, mission deployed in the Gulf of Oman, responded to a distress call from Pulau-flagged MT Yi Cheng 6, on 29 June. The vessel with 14 crew members of Indian origin, transiting from Kandla, India, to Shinas, Oman, experienced a major fire in the engine room and total power failure onboard," the Indian Navy said in a post on X.
It said that the INS Tabar responded to the distress call from Pulau-flagged vessel and the firefighting team and equipment from naval ship were transferred onboard by the ship's boat and helicopter to evacuate the stranded crew members, including 14 Indians.
'The firefighting team and equipment from INS Tabar were transferred onboard by the ship's boat and helicopter. 13 Indian naval personnel and 05 crew members of the stricken tanker are currently involved in firefighting operations, with the intensity of fire onboard reduced drastically," it added.
This is not the first time the Indian Navy has come to the aid of distressed vessels.
Earlier this month, the Indian Navy executed a critical operation to assist the MV Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship that was engulfed in flames since June 9.
Despite rough seas and challenging weather, a salvage team was deployed to the burning ship to initiate towing efforts and prevent it from drifting closer to shore.
The vessel caught fire off the Kerala coast while travelling from Colombo to Mumbai after one of its containers exploded.
The Indian Navy used a Seaking helicopter from the Southern Naval Command in Kochi to lower the salvage team onto the vessel. The operation was complex due to adverse conditions, including strong winds and the ongoing fire.
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