22 Rescued from Containership Ablaze in the Bay of Bengal

MarineLink June 14, 2018

(Photo courtesy of the Indian Coast Guard)

The Indian Coast Guard said it has rescued all 22 crew members from a containership that caught fire around midnight in the Bay of Bengal.

Coast Guard vessels arrived on scene Thursday morning and rescued all crew and the captain from Indian flagged SSL Kolkata, Coast Guard Commander Inspector General (NE) Kuldip Singh Sheoran said.

SSL Kolkata was sailing from Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to Kolkata when the fire broke out due to an explosion in one of the containers, local media reported.

Sheoran said the ship is carrying 464 containers on board.

With all crew evacuated, the Coast Guard continues to monitor the 148-meter ship which is still burning and adrift.