Commercial vessel with 14 Indian-origin crew catches fire; Navy to help

A Palau-flagged vessel with 14 crew members of Indian origin encountered a major fire in its engine room, and the Indian Navy has deployed a stealth frigate to assist the ship.

The vessel was transiting from Kandla and was on its way to Shinas in Oman.

The Indian Navy's stealth frigate INS Tabar, currently deployed in the Gulf of Oman, responded to a distress call from MT Yi Cheng 6 on Sunday, according to a spokesperson of the Navy.

"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 official said.

The firefighting team and equipment from INS Tabar were transferred onboard by the ship's boat and helicopter, he added.

"Thirteen Indian naval personnel and five crew members of the stricken tanker are currently involved in firefighting operations, with ithe ntensity of fire onboard reduced drastically," the spokesperson said in a social media post.