THE Indian Coast Guard (ICG) personnel on Thursday (2) helped in averting a major disaster after a fire in the engine room of MV Kavaratti cruise ship with 624 passengers and 85 crew onboard was tamed by the maritime law enforcement and search-and-rescue agency.
India’s defence ministry later issued a statement on the incident, saying, “A major fire in the engine room of MV Kavaratti with 624 passengers and 85 crew on board was reported to Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Mumbai by Lakshadweep Development Corporation Ltd. Ship was on passage to Androth from Kavaratti.”
“The fire was brought under control by the alert crew of the ship and Indian Coast Guard Ship Samarth deployed in the area was promptly diverted to render assistance. MV Kavaratti was boarded by a specialist team of Coast Guard Ship Samarth 30 Nautical Miles off Kavaratti Island,” it said.
As per the ministry’s sources, the ship was found to be dysfunctional since the engines couldn’t be used for propelling it.
The ship’s generator also failed owing to the fire and its shell door could not be operated for safe evacuation of all passengers. The ICG’s rescue ship ICGS Samarth towed the cruise vessel to the Andrott island in the early hours of Thursday, the defence ministry added.
The passengers and crew members were safely evacuated, the ministry added.
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