A major maritime incident occurred off the Indian port of Kandla on Monday when the Hong Kong-flagged product tanker Fulda caught fire and experienced an onboard explosion during routine operations.
All 21 crew members were safely evacuated following the emergency.
The Fulda, a 26-year-old tanker en route to Port Sohar, Oman, departed Kandla at 11:00 IST. At approximately 13:05 IST, a nearby vessel, Team Focus, reported an explosion aboard the Fulda during gas-freeing operations — a standard safety procedure used to ventilate flammable vapors from cargo tanks.
India’s Directorate General of Shipping confirmed that the explosion caused the vessel to initially list 22 degrees to starboard before shifting to port as the crew attempted onboard mitigation efforts.
By 19:00 IST, the ship’s master requested full evacuation.
The crew, comprising 11 Chinese, two Bangladeshi, one Indonesian, and seven Myanmarese nationals, was successfully evacuated by the tug Orchid Star, dispatched from Kandla. No casualties have been reported.
The Fulda, owned by Hong Kong-based Fulda Industrial, was carrying 384.17 tonnes of fuel at the time of the incident.
While no oil spill has been reported, the vessel sustained significant structural damage. It remains afloat with no signs of water ingress.
The Indian Coast Guard deployed two tugs, interceptor boats ICGS C-429 and Samudra Pavak, and pollution control resources to the site. The situation is being continuously monitored.
Preliminary findings indicate that improper handling of flammable vapors during gas-freeing operations may have triggered the explosion. A full investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the incident.
Authorities continue to monitor the vessel’s condition and ensure there is no environmental impact.