By Ajit Dubey
New Delhi [India], December 23 : An India-bound merchant vessel MV Chem Pluto with 20 Indian and one Vietnamese crew member caught fire after it was attacked by a suspected drone and was later secured by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Saturday, ICG said in an official statement.
The merchant vessel reportedly commenced its voyage from the UAE on December 19 and was bound for New Mangalore port with an arrival date of December 25.
The official statement said that on December 23, the Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai received information regarding a fire onboard MV Chem Pluto, reportedly attacked by a suspected drone strike or aerial platform.
The Indian Coast Guard Maritime Coordination Centre (MRCC) established real-time communication with the vessel's agent, ascertained no loss of life and assured all assistance.
It was also learned that the vessel fire has been doused by the crew. For augmenting the vessel's safety, MRCC Mumbai has activated ISN and immediately diverted other merchant vessels in the vicinity of Chem Pluto for assistance.
The statement read further, "The Indian Coast Guard also pressed Offshore Patrol vessel Vikram and Coast Guard Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft into action for rendering assistance to Chem Pluto. The Coast Guard Dornier aircraft has sanitised the area and established communication with Chem Pluto. The vessel has started making its way towards Mumbai after undertaking damage assessment and repairs on its power generation systems."
The vessel is likely to enter Mumbai and seek escort assistance due to steering issues. Indian Coast Guard Ship Vikram will be escorting the ship during its passage. The Indian Coast Guard Operations Centre is monitoring the situation closely.
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