Merchant vessel SSL Kolkata catches fire, all 22 members rescued

Kolkata : The Indian Coast Guard ship Rajkiran and Dornier aircraft on Thursday rescued all the 22 crew members on board Indian flag Container vessel, MV SSL Kolkata after it caught fire last night.Coast Guard Dornier aircraft was launched from Kolkata while ICGS Rajkiran from Haldia reached area at about 08:30 AM to rescue the all-Indian crew.

The rescue operation was undertaken by the Coast Guard units under bad weather and rough sea condition."No spill of fuel as of now, however, if such has happened coast guard will take care of it. Merchant Vessel SSL Kolkata was carrying 464 containers. We have successfully rescued all the crew members and they are safe," said Inspector General Kuldeep Singh Sheoran, Coast Guard Commander at Regional Headquarters (North East) in Kolkata.

The container carrier was on coastal voyage from Krishnapatnam to Kolkata with the crew and 464 containers.By the time the rescue team reached MV SSL Kolkata, about 70 percent of the vessel was on fire and master of the vessel had abandoned.

The fire broke out due to explosion in one of the container and gradually it spread over.