Fire in container ship extinguished

The raging fire in MV SSL Kolkata that began on June 14 night in the Bay of Bengal was finally extinguished on Sunday, a Defence Ministry spokesperson said.

The mission, led by Wg Cdr Nikhil Mehrotra along with Flt Lt Atul Mishra, was achieved by deploying a Mi-17 V-5 helicopter.

The helicopter operated from Frazerganj Harbour helipad which, though small in size, was nearest to the location of the container vessel on fire.

With support from the Indian Coast Guard and the harbour officials, approximately 15,000 litres of water was poured over the burning ship in six shuttles.

"Being surrounded by thick smoke emanating from the ship deck, it was a huge challenge to maintain clear of the tall structures on the ship like the cargo cranes and yet deliver the water spray from an appropriate height for it to be most effective," said Wg Cdr Mehrotra.

--IANS

ssp/nir