Kochi merchant ship fire: Crew member succumbs to burns

A crew member of a domestic merchant ship that caught fire off the Kochi coast, has succumbed to severe burns. Doctors at the Medical Trust Hospital here declared Yogesh K Solanki from Daman and Diudead on arrival last night, a hospital spokesman said on Thursday.

The ship "MV Nalini" caught fire while being anchored at 14.5 nautical miles southwest off the city last evening. The vessel had lost power and propulsion, prompting it to send out a request to Navy for evacuation of its crew members.

A Defence spokesperson here, quoting a message received from the ship with 22 crew members onboard, had said a man in his late 20s had suffered 80 per cent burns. The situation was brought under control yesterday itself.The ship is a chemical tanker, and was carrying naphtha.

The Southern Naval command, the Coast Guard and other agencies had made arrangements for the rescue operations.