Ship catches fire mid-sea

Kavaratti (Lakshadweep): A ship with over 322 passengers and 85 crew on Wednesday was stranded in the high seas 16 nautical miles from here after its engine caught fire. The vessel was sailing to Androth Island, a part of the Lakshadweep archipelago, official sources said.

All the passengers and crew are safe and the ship is being towed to Androth by a Indian Coast Guard vessel which was in the vicinity, the sources said.

The Coast Guard ship started towing the stranded vessel at 6.15 PM and it would reach shore by 11.00 PM , sources said. Another passenger ship, MV Coral , which was dispatched to aid the stranded vessel is also accompanying it, they said. MV Kavaratti had left for Lakshadweep from Kochi on Tuesday and offloaded some passengers. Then, the shop was on its way to Androth and other islands of the archipelago on Wednesday.

While it was a few hours away from Androth, the ship’s engine caught fire, sources said and added that though the flames were extinguished promptly, it could not sail further as the engine had to be shut down. Once the vessel reaches Androth, the passengers going to the other islands would be ferried there in smaller boats, sources said. -(PTI)