INS Tabar Responds as Oil Tanker With 14 Indian-Origin Crew Suffers Major Fire in Gulf of Oman

Gulf of Oman: A massive fire broke out on Sunday aboard the oil tanker MT Yi Cheng 6 while it was sailing from Kandla in India to Shinas in Oman. Fourteen Indian-origin crew members were on board the vessel when the blaze started in its engine room, causing a total power failure.

Responding swiftly to a distress signal, the Indian Navy’s INS Tabar, which was already on patrol in the Gulf of Oman, rushed to assist. According to a statement posted by the Indian Navy on social media, “The fire fighting team and equipment from INS Tabar were transferred onboard by ship’s boat and helicopter. Thirteen Indian naval personnel and five crew members of the stricken tanker are currently involved in firefighting operations.”

Navy officials reported that the efforts helped reduce the intensity of the fire significantly.

The oil tanker had raised the alarm after flames and smoke began spreading in the engine area, making the crew powerless to contain it alone. Thanks to the prompt response of INS Tabar, no casualties have been reported so far, and firefighting is continuing to ensure the ship’s safety.

This is not the first time the Indian Navy has carried out such an operation. Earlier in June, the Navy helped douse a fire on the MV Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship that experienced an explosion near the Kerala coast.