Visakhapatnam: Fire guts vessel ‘Coastal Jaguar’

A ship caught fire on Monday off Visakhapatnam following a loud explosion, forcing the crew to jump into the waters to save themselves.

The fire broke out on the Offshore Support Vessel Coastal Jaguar at around 11:30 am. Visuals from of the incident showed a raging fireball on the ship and thick black smoke billowing towards the sky.

#WATCH Visakhapatnam: At 11:30 am today, 29 crew members of Offshore Support Vessel Coastal Jaguar jumped into water after a fire engulfed the vessel. 28 rescued by Indian Coast Guard. Search for 1 missing crew underway. Exact cause of fire yet to be ascertained. #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/pksYGrC9ZE

— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2019

The Indian Coast Guard Ship Rani Rashmoni, which was in the area, was diverted for rescue operations. Visuals of the rescue showed ICGS Rani Rashmoni's crew throwing over lifebuoys to the crew swimming in the water.