Offshore support vessel Coastal Jaguar catches fire near Visakhapatnam

Highlights A fire broke out on an offshore support ship off the Andhra Pradesh coast

29 crew members jumped off the ship, the Coast Guard said

One sailor is missing, while the rest have been rescued: Coast Guard

One sailor drowned and another is missing after 29 crew members of an offshore support ship jumped into the waters off the Andhra Pradesh coast when a fire broke out on the vessel on Monday.

The body of the sailor who had drowned was recovered and the injured were admitted to a private hospital while the Coast Guard, which rescued the crew after they jumped into the sea, was searching for the person still missing, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police T Mohan Rao said.

At least five of the injured were said to be critical as they suffered severe burns, he said.

What led to the fire is not yet known.

The accident was reported around 11.25 am at Visakhapatnam Port Trust's Single Point Mooring (SPM) Terminal, where crude and oil supplies are handled.

Earlier, a Defence release said 28 crew members of the Coastal Jaguar ship were rescued by a Coast Guard ship. There were 29 crew members when the fire broke out and they jumped into the Bay of Bengal to escape from the blaze, it added.