The ship, MV Amsterdam Bridge, had reached just four nautical miles from Prongs Reef Lighthouse in south Mumbai and was carrying hazardous cargo, sources said.
According to the sources, the operations room of the Coast Guard received a fire call at 5.15 PM from the captain of the cargo vessel.
Even though only two ships -- ICGS Samudra Prahari and ICGS Subhadra Kumari Chouhan-- were initially sent to contain the fire, later on two more ships ICGS Sankalp and ICGS Sangram were also pressed into service. An emergency towing vessel (ETV) was also sent to the spot.
The crew of the 54,405 tonne vessel is believed to be safe, the sources said.
Though the fire suspected to have started somewhere near the engine room, soon it spread to other parts, the officer said, adding that by late evening the middle portion of the ship had caught fire.
The vessel carried hazardous and noxious substance (HNS), which signifies that it is carrying substance, apart from oil, which, when released into marine environment, will have detrimental effect on the human and marine life.
The HNS has made the fire-fighting and rescue operation more difficult for the Coast Guard. The ship had reached the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust on September 8 and left for Colombo after loading the containers. It was supposed to reach Colombo on Tuesday.
The officers said it is only after extinguishing the fire, the estimate of the damage can be evaluated.
