Djibouti City: Twenty-three Indian crew members on board MV Falcon were rescued and handed over to the Djiboutian Coast Guard on Monday after the vessel caught fire and was left adrift off the coast of Yemen following an explosion.

The Cameroon-flagged ship, bound for Djibouti City, was sailing southeast of the port of Aden, Yemen, when an onboard explosion on Saturday caused a fire. 

The vessel, fully loaded with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), sent out an urgent distress signal. On receiving the call, EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, a defensive naval operation protecting civilian ships and crews in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, launched a search and rescue operation.

“EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, under the coordination of Rear Admiral Andrea Quondamatteo, Force Commander of ASPIDES, has successfully coordinated a SAR (SEARCH AND RESCUE) operation," a statement released by ASPIDES said.   

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“MV MEDA successfully rescued 24 crewmembers of MV FALCON (1 Ukrainian and 23 Indians),” it added. 

The ship was escorted to the Port of Djibouti, and the rescued seafarers were safely handed over to the Djiboutian Coast Guard. However, two crew members are still missing.

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Authorities have been informed that vessels in the area have to maintain a safe distance from the MV Falcon as it carries LPG and poses the risk of explosion.
(Using PTI inputs)

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