AMN / WEB DESK
Indian Navy’s guided missile destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam, deployed in the Gulf of Aden, responded to a distress call from MV Marlin Luanda last night. The Spokesperson of the Indian Navy said in a social media post that the firefighting efforts onboard the distressed Merchant Vessel are being augmented by the NBCD team along with firefighting equipment, deployed by INS Visakhapatnam to assist the crew onboard the MV. The MV has 22 Indian and one Bangladeshi crew onboard.
The spokesperson said that the Indian Navy remains steadfast and committed towards safeguarding MVs and ensuring the safety of life at sea.
The Marlin Luanda, which is carrying a Russian-produced refined oil product, has a crew of 22 Indian sailors and one Bangladeshi and the INS Visakhapatnam, which has been deployed in the Gulf of Aden, is aiding with their firefighting efforts.
The 250m-long Marlin Luanda caught fire after it was hit by the anti-ballistic missile late last night fired from a Houthi-controlled part of Yemen and the crew has been struggling to put out the flames since then. No injuries have been reported among the crew.
An Indian Navy spokesperson said: “The firefighting efforts onboard the distressed merchant vessel is being augmented by the team along with firefighting equipment deployed by the INS Visakhapatnam.” The blaze is the biggest to be caused by the more than 30 attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis in the three months that they have been attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea area.
The attack came as a surprise because there is said to be a tacit understanding, brokered by the Iranians, that the Houthis would not attack Russian ships and cargoes.Iran considers Moscow an ally.
However in this case, the Marlin Luanda is sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands and is operating on behalf of Singapopre-based trading giant Trafigura while its registered owner is London-based Oceonix Services. In claiming responsibilities for the attack, the Houthis described the vessel as a “British oil ship.” The UK and the US have been mounting strikes against the Houthis in an effort to protect commercial shipping travelling to and from the vital Suez Canal.