Fire Breaks Out On Maersk Containership Off Coast of India

Maersk on Friday said there was a fire incident on one of its chartered vessels sailing from Mundra, off the western coast of India to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The fire started due to a short circuit resulting in explosions and the death of a seaman from Philippines, local media said, adding that there were 21 crew members on board.

The vessel is in stable condition, the company said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

"At the moment, we are unable to confirm whether and to what extent is the impact of the fire," it added in the statement.

The fire was reported around 2:30 p.m. local time and the vessel's crew has been engaged in firefighting with support from the Indian authorities, Maersk said.

(Photo: Indian Coast Guard)(Reuters - Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Marguerita Choy)