Indian Navy Rallies to Action as Oil Tanker Blaze Erupts in Gulf of Oman

A recent publication by News18 highlights a important incident involving the oil tanker MT Yi Cheng 6, which caught fire in the Gulf of Oman on June 29. The vessel was en route from Kandla Port in India to Shinas, Oman, when disaster struck.

Onboard were 14 crew members from India. the blaze ignited in the engine room and led to a complete power failure, leaving the ship adrift at sea. Fortunately, Indian naval ship INS Tabar was already stationed nearby for maritime security and quickly sprang into action.

The Indian Navy reported that they received a distress signal from the Pulau-flagged tanker on that fateful day and wasted no time responding. Firefighting teams and equipment were swiftly transferred from INS Tabar to MT Yi Cheng 6 via boats and helicopters. A collaborative effort between 13 naval personnel and five crew members helped bring down the intensity of the flames, although full containment efforts are still ongoing.

In an update shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), officials confirmed that there had been a serious fire in the engine room along with total power loss during its international journey.

This incident marks yet another instance where the Indian Navy has intervened to assist vessels facing emergencies at sea. Just weeks prior, they responded to a similar crisis involving MV Wan Hai 503—a Singapore-flagged container ship—near Kerala’s coast on June 9. that vessel experienced an explosion within one of its containers while traveling from Colombo to Mumbai, resulting in a fierce fire outbreak.Despite challenging weather conditions with strong winds complicating matters further,a salvage team was airlifted by helicopter from Kochi’s Southern Naval Command directly onto MV Wan Hai 503 to initiate firefighting measures and prepare for towing operations.These events underscore not only the risks associated with maritime transport but also highlight how crucial rapid response teams are when it comes to ensuring safety at sea—an aspect often overlooked until emergencies arise.