A cargo barge MV Vishalakshi caught fire while undergoing repairs at Sea Blue Shipyard in Vypin, near Kochi, early Monday, according to Asianet News Malayalam.
The fire broke out on the deck at around 3 a.m. at the private yard in Kalamukku, forcing six crew members who were sleeping on board to escape after flames spread across the upper deck.
Shipyard employees initially tried to contain the blaze before emergency services were called. Three fire tenders were deployed, while a firefighting team from Cochin Shipyard Ltd later joined the response by vessel as the fire continued for several hours. No casualties were reported.
Firefighting was complicated by restricted access to the vessel, with crews forced to work from one side of the yard. Smoke and flames were seen rising from the engine room at around 4 a.m. Chemicals and petroleum-based materials on board intensified the fire, and the operation to bring the blaze under control took nearly eight hours.
The cause has not been officially determined. A preliminary assessment pointed to a possible short circuit, while officials were also expected to examine whether equipment used during repair work contributed to the incident. Residents alleged that the shipyard lacked a valid grama panchayat licence and was operating despite a Pollution Control Board stop memo.
Sea Blue Shipyard Ltd is an ISO 9001:2015-certified public limited company registered under India’s Companies Act, 1956. The company says it operates three slipways for medium-type vessels and has customs permission to berth foreign-flagged vessels.
Cochin Shipyard Ltd is an Indian shipbuilding and ship repair company headquartered in Kochi.
