The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has been tirelessly working for the fifth consecutive day to ensure the safety of the MV Maersk Frankfurt and her crew while preventing marine pollution.

The incident took place near 13 Nautical miles west of New Mangalore port of Dakshina Kannada district on July 23.

Visuals showed how gallons of water were being used and sprayed on the burning ship in the middle of the sea to control the fire.

According to reports, the operation is taking place amidst extreme weather conditions at the peak of the South West monsoon.

Thanks to the sustained efforts of ICG ships, a major fire on the vessel has been largely extinguished, although minor fires continue to flare up due to the contents inside the containers. Currently, ICGS Samudra Prahari, a specialized Pollution Control Vessel, and ICGS Sachet, an advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel, are actively combating these smaller fires.

The firefighting efforts are being supported by the Albatros 5, an Offshore Supply Vessel (OSV) hired by the ship managers, and the Emergency Towing Vessel (ETV) Water Lily, contracted by the Directorate General of Shipping. Aerial assessments by the ICG are also being conducted as needed.

Given the significant threat posed to the Indian coastline, all efforts are being made to steer the vessel away from the coast and into deeper waters. Currently, the MV Maersk Frankfurt is 13 nautical miles west of New Mangalore and is heading towards the open sea.

The ship managers, Bernhard Schulte Ship Management (Hong Kong) Ltd, have hired SMIT Salvors to carry out salvage operations on the distressed vessel. The ICG has facilitated the boarding of an initial salvage team consisting of four members, one Indian and three Filipinos. The salvage team has requested the continued presence of the ICG near the vessel to combat fire flare-ups until the arrival of two Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) vessels from abroad. The first AHTS vessel is expected to arrive by the evening of July 23, with the second expected by July 28.

Firefighting on container vessels is a significant challenge for the global maritime community, as fires inside containers require close intervention to fully extinguish. The role of the salvage team aboard the MV Maersk Frankfurt is crucial to sustain the efforts initiated by the ICG.