Maharashtra: Fishing boat gutted at Uttan beach in Thane, no one hurt

Representational Pic/File

A fishing boat was gutted in a fire at Uttan beach in Maharashtra's Thane district, though no one was injured in the incident, a civic official said on Saturday, the PTI reported.

According to the PTI, The incident took place at 9 am on Friday, Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation chief fire officer Prakash Boarade said.

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"No one was injured but the boat was reduced to ashes. The blaze may have originated from the engine. It was brought under control in an hour," he said.

Meanwhile, in an another incident, the Indian Navy on Saturday said its guided missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam has deployed a team to help fire-fighting efforts on board British oil tanker MV Marlin Luanda which has got 22 Indian and one Bangladeshi crew members, the PTI reported.

According to foreign media reports, the tanker caught fire after a missile attack by Yemen's Houthi militants, the latest incident linked to the Iran-backed group in the key shipping route Gulf of Aden.

On a request from MV Marlin Luanda, INS Visakhapatnam has deployed its NBCD team along with fire-fighting equipment to render assistance to the crew towards augmenting fire-fighting efforts on board the distressed ship, a Navy spokesperson said.

"The Indian Navy remains steadfast and committed towards safeguarding MVs (merchant vessels) and ensuring safety of life at sea," the Indian Navy said, as per the PTI.

The operator of the British oil tanker has said the vessel had been "struck by a missile in the Gulf of Aden after transiting the Red Sea", according to the reports.

The Indian Navy has significantly increased its surveillance apparatus in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden by deploying frontline destroyers and frigates in view of recent incidents of attacks on merchant vessels.

Earlier this month, the Indian Navy responded to a drone attack distress call from MV Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden on the night of January 17, and on January 5, it had thwarted an attempted hijacking of Liberian-flagged vessel MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea and rescued all its crew members.

(with PTI inputs)