Fire breaks out on MOL Comfort

JULY 7, 2013 — A fire has broken out on the fore part of MOL Comfort, the five-year old containership that fractured into two parts June 17 after encountering heavy weather in the Indian Ocean.

The Marine Insight, Mumbai, Facebook page says the fire was noticed yesterday during a routine surveillance sortie by an Indian Coast Guard (ICG) aircraft, around 310 nautical miles from Mumbai, when the vessel was being towed to Port Sohar in Oman.

Facebook photo posted by Marine Insight, Mumbai

The vessel’s owner, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL), has issued an update on status of the ship as of 0400UTC (1300 JST) on July 7. It said that the salvage tug towing the fore part reported that a fire broke out from the rear end of the fore part around 0030UTC (0930 JST) on July 6.

“Upon our immediate request to the salvage company to start fire fighting,” said MOL,”the tug boat and two rescue boats have been responding to the fire. The fire is not under control due to adverse weather yet. The salvage company has requested fire fighting assistance of Indian Coast Guard, and their patrol boat Samudra Prahari, which is equipped with powerful external fire fighting system, is now proceeding to the scene.”