In a distressing incident, the Indian Navy's guided missile destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam, responded swiftly to a distress call from the merchant vessel MV Marlin Luanda, which came under a Houthi rebel anti-ship missile attack in the Gulf of Aden on the night of January 26.
MV Marlin Luanda, carrying Russian naphtha, a crude oil component, reported a missile hit that resulted in a fire onboard. The vessel had a crew of 22 Indians and 1 Bangladeshi, as confirmed by the Indian Navy on Saturday.
In an immediate response, INS Visakhapatnam deployed a team equipped with firefighting equipment to assist the distressed crew and enhance firefighting efforts on MV Marlin Luanda. The Navy reported that all 23 crew members are safe, and the fire in the cargo tank has been successfully extinguished.
It is worth noting that this incident comes after a series of attacks on merchant vessels in the region, emphasizing the need for heightened vigilance and robust security measures in these strategically significant waterways. The Indian Navy continues to monitor the situation closely, emphasizing its commitment to ensuring the security and well-being of seafarers in the face of evolving threats.