Fire breaks out at vehicle ferry in Port Blair, none hurt

Six fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze at MV Pilobhabi, officials said.

Port Blair: A fire broke out at a vehicle ferry that was under repair in the dry Marine Dockyard at Phoenix Bay here on Thursday afternoon, officials said.

Six fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze at MV Pilobhabi, they said, adding, nobody was injured.

“Around 12.40 pm, we got information about the incident. Our personnel immediately rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control within 15 minutes. It was a minor fire and no casualties or injuries have been reported,” SP (Fire & Emergency Services) Manjeet Sheoran told PTI.

“No workers and engineers were present in the vessel when the blaze erupted, as it was lunch time,” Sheoran said.

MV Pilobhabi used to operate between Chatham and Bambooflat jetties in South Andaman, but the service was withdrawn on January 25, 2022 due to some repair work.

Two vehicle ferry vessels – MV Mus and MV Lapathy – now operate on the route in place of MV Pilobhabi, the officials added.