Maersk Line vessel on fire: Indian sailor still missing, Thai national dies

The fire continues to rage through the forward portion of Maersk Line container, two days after it went up in flames in the Arabia Sea, While the search is on for a missing Indian sailor, a rescued crew member succumbed to injuries.

The Maersk Line vessel caught fire in the Arabian Sea on its route from Singapore to the Suez Canal on Tuesday, forcing the 27 crew members to jump out into the sea, they said.

According to the latest visuals on Thursday afternoon, the fire is continuing to rage through the forward portion of the ship and is slowly spreading towards the bridge of the vessel. The fire is raging of toxic fumes are emanating from the ship. The high temperatures have melted the containers onboard.

Among the 27 crew members were 13 Indians, including the captain, nine Filipinos, two Thai sailors, and one each from the UK, Romania and South Africa.

Of the two Thai seafarers, one succumbed to injuries late on Wednesday after "his health condition drastically deteriorated due to the wounds sustained in fire".

"We are deeply saddened with the passing of one of our colleagues who in the first place had been evacuated. The seriousness of the event has escalated and everyone in Maersk is moved by this. We are in contact with the family of the deceased and our thoughts and condolences go to them," Soren Toft, Member of the Executive Board of AP Moller - Maersk, was quoted as saying by Seatrade Maritime News.

The vessel was around 340 nautical miles away from the Agatti Island in Lakshadweep, and four merchant ships in the vicinity were asked to help, the officials said, adding that 23 of the crew members have been rescued.

Searches for the remaining four crew members were underway. "At this stage, we have no reason to believe the fire was caused by an error in the ship's construction," a company spokesperson added.

OneIndia News (with agency inputs)