Face of Nation : Twenty-nine crew members of an offshore support ship jumped into the waters off the Andhra Pradesh coast after a fire broke out on the vessel this morning, the Coast Guard said in a statement.
A sailor is missing, while the rest have been rescued by the Coast Guard near Visakhapatnam, it said. In visuals, several small vessels are seen spraying water on the burning offshore support ship.
An explosion was heard on the offshore support vessel Coastal Jaguar at 11:30 am. Minutes later, black smoke billowed out from the ship, following which the crew had to jump into the water to save themselves from the burning vessel, the Coast Guard said in the statement.
The Coast Guard’s fast patrol vessel Rani Rashmoni, which was sailing near the area, was diverted to the burning vessel to coordinate the rescue operation with boats of the Visakhapatnam Port Trust, the Coast Guard said.
