Indian ship crew win ‘exceptional bravery’ awards for Red Sea rescue

• Indian Captain Rawat and his crew of an oil tanker have been named among the winners of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 2024 Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for their “extraordinary courage” shown in a Red Sea rescue mission.

Keypoint

• Captain Rawat and his crew were declared winners by the IMO for the “determination and endurance” demonstrated while coordinating firefighting and damage control efforts to combat a fire that broke out after an anti-ship missile reportedly fired by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels struck their vessel ‘Marlin Luanda’ earlier this year.
• Indian Navy ship INS Visakhapatnam have been conferred a Letter of Commendation for their support to the oil tanker when in distress.
• The Marlin Luanda, carrying 84,147 tonnes of Naphtha, was en route from Suez to Incheon when it was struck by an anti-ship ballistic missile.
  • The explosion ignited a cargo tank, creating a significant fire hazard with flames exceeding 5 meters.
  • Captain Avhilash Rawat swiftly organized firefighting efforts, ensuring the crew’s safety and maintaining the ship’s navigability amidst the chaos.
• The fire continued to spread, particularly affecting an adjacent tank, but the crew managed to contain it using seawater after foam supplies were exhausted.

Prelims Takeaway:

• Red Sea
• IMO