Video: Vessel carrying 'dangerous' goods catches fire off Goa coast, Indian Coast Guard responds

A major fire incident was reported on a container cargo merchant vessel 102 nautical miles off the coast of the Western Indian state of Goa on Friday (Jul 19). Twoships of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) were responding to the distressing calls of the vessel, which was on its way to the Sri Lankan capital Colombo from Gujarat's Mundra port. A Dornier aircraft was also rushed to take an aerial assessment of the situation.

The ICG said the vessel was carrying Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG), as a result of which explosions were occurring on the front side of the vessel.

The ICG ship was carrying out fire-fighting and rescue operations, despite rough sea and weather conditions, the statement by the coast guardadded.

According to the ICG, two ships were rushed from Goa to augment firefighting efforts.

Earlier on Wednesday (Jul 17), the ICG rescued an Indian fishing boat with 11 crew on board off the coast of Kerala, the country's southernmost state.

The boat was first spotted by aDornier aircraft on the night of July16, as per a statement from the Defence Ministry.

"The vessel was in a critical condition due to flooding from a hull rupture near the keel and loss of propulsion, which posed a threat to the safety of the crew," the ministry said.

Watch:8 Indians, 1 Sri Lankan rescued by Indian navy ship INS Teg

“To bolster the efforts, another ICG ship 'Abhinav' was deployed, along with an advanced light helicopter to rescue the crew. A technical ICG team embarked onto the distressed boat, carried out de-flooding operations, and provided necessary assistance. The operation culminated with the rescue of all crew members, and the vessel,” the ministry added.

(With inputs from agencies)