Fire and Explosion on LPG tanker off Yemen leaves two missing

_{Photo credit: French Armed Forces General Staff}

Two Indian crew members are still reported missing after their LPG tanker caught fire on Saturday. The remaining 24 crew members (1 Ukrainian and 23 Indians) of the Cameroon-flagged Falcon, which abandoned the ship, were rescued by two nearby vessels and are now heading towards the port of Djibouti, the Eunavfor Aspides said in a statement.

A distress call was issued on October 18 after fire erupted on the LPG tanker Falcon off the coast of Yemen that forced members of its crew to abandon the vessel.

The LPG tanker Falcon (built 1994) with destination Djibouti was on fire and adrift after an explosion onboard, Aspides said.

The cause of the incident remains under investigation. An operation was in progress to rescue its 26 crew members.

Upon receipt of an urgent distress request from the vessel’s master, Eunavfor Aspides, under the coordination of rear admiral Andrea Quondamatteo, force commander of Aspides, initiated an immediate response (search and rescue operation) to save all 26 crew members (1 Ukrainian, 25 Indians).