A bulk carrier came to the aid of a burning fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka and rescued all 34 of its crew on Wednesday, February 26.
The Liberian-flagged Eleen Armonia, owned by Bulgarian shipping company Eleen Marine, had earlier departed Port Klang in Malaysia and was en route to the South African port of Durban when its crew spotted the Indonesian fishing vessel Hasil Abadi 28 with its stern on fire some 800 kilometres southeast of Sri Lanka.
The crew of the fishing vessel had moved to the bow as the flames spread from the stern.
The bulk carrier moved alongside the burning fishing vessel and attempted to extinguish the blaze using its onboard hoses, to no avail.
When it became evident that the fire could not be extinguished, the fishermen were brought aboard the bulk carrier and were provided with food and medical attention. No serious injuries have been reported.
The rescued fishermen were later transferred to another Indonesian fishing vessel that had been diverted to the area in response to the fire. Eleen Armonia remained in the area for nearly 15 hours to await the arrival of the other Indonesian vessel.