MUMBAI: A fishing boat caught fire in deep waters off the Mumbai coast on Sunday morning and later sank, leaving one crew member injured, fishermen’s representatives said.
The vessel, Sea Princess, owned by Reshma Moses Dhake of Bhati Koliwada, was out fishing when the blaze broke out, reportedly due to a stove or gas flare-up. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause.
According to members of the fishermen’s cooperative, information about the fire was received around 10.15am, following which authorities including the Coast Guard, fisheries department and Yellow Gate police were alerted.
Rescue assistance arrived about 30 minutes later from nearby fishing boats. By then, the fire had spread to the vessel’s front section, causing extensive damage.
Seven crew members were on board. One crew member sustained injuries to both legs and a hand during the incident. Another fishing boat, Sagar Kanya, brought the injured person to the harbour, where he was admitted to Shatabdi Hospital and is reported to be stable.
The remaining crew members were rescued safely by nearby boats, said Prabhakar Koli, president of the Bhati Koliwada Gramseva Mandal.
Fishermen’s representatives said the vessel eventually sank around 5pm. Kiran Koli, general secretary of the Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti, said efforts will be made to retrieve the vessel from the sea on Monday.
The estimated loss from the incident is over ₹40 lakh, and fishermen’s groups have demanded financial assistance for the boat owner from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.