Merchant vessel catches fire at port

A fire was reported on a merchant vessel, MV Amsterdam Bridge, which was anchored at the Mumbai port on Sunday afternoon. However, there were no reports of injury to crew members on board.

A fire was reported on a merchant vessel, MV Amsterdam Bridge, which was anchored at the Mumbai port on Sunday afternoon. However, there were no reports of injury to crew members on board.

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The Indian Coast Guard deployed two ships, Subhadra Kumari Chouhan and Samudra Prahari, for fire fighting and pollution control respectively.

S Basra, inspector general, coast guard (West) said that the fire broke out in a container on the merchant ship, which was carrying hazardous and toxic substances. The ship was moved to the outer anchorage after the fire was doused. Officials said that they were yet to ascertain what cargo the vessel contained.

Coast guard officials said that MV Amsterdam Bridge was an Antigua Barbuda-flagged ship it was on its way to Colombo.

Officials said that ships sailing on this route, travel via Nhava Seva to Colombo. In case ships need to go further they travel via Colombo-Singapore-Punson-Shanghai to their final destination, Ningubo.

MV Amsterdam Bridge, a 260-metre long container ship was built in 2009 and is owned by K-line Business of Japan. The ship can carry over 42,000 metric tonnes, was carrying 112 containers at the time if the fire.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) authorities are trying to ascertain the cause of the fire and would question the agent of the ship in Mumbai, said sources.