The salvors of MOL Comfort have encountered another obstacle in their effort to recover the remaining fore part of the vessel, after its stern part sank in heavy seas on June 27. Namely, as MOL reported on Saturday, July 6, a fire had broken out on the towed fore part of the vessel at around 0030UTC (09:30 JST) on July 6.
“We immediately requested the salvage company to start firefighting. The tug boat and other two rescue boats are responding to the fire at the scene,” said MOL in Saturday’s report.
Following a request by the salvage company, the Indian Coast Guard’s patrol boat ‘Samudra Prahari’, which is equipped with powerful external firefighting system, was dispatched on Sunday and it has joined the firefighting operation this morning.
According to the latest update made by MOL, the fire is not yet under control due to adverse weather.
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World Maritime News Staff, July 8, 2013