Mumbai:

A huge fire has broken out on a merchant container vessel near Goa. The ship was on passage from Mundra to Sri Lanka’s Colombo and is now located around 102 nautical miles south west of Goa.

The Indian Coast Guard has diverted a ship to help. The ship has reached the spot and is carrying out fire-fighting operation despite rough sea and inclement weather. Two more Coast Guard ships have been sent to help with the firefighting.

An Dornier aircraft of the Coast Guard has also been launched for aerial assessment.

The ship is reported to be carrying International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) cargo. Explosions can be heard from its front part.