Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Yemen: Three Indian crew members aboard the vessel MV Falcon were rescued after the ship caught fire and began drifting off Yemen’s coast following an explosion. The rescued sailors have been safely transferred to the Djiboutian Coast Guard.

The MV Falcon, a Cameroon-registered tanker, was travelling southeast of Yemen’s Aden port en route to Djibouti when a blast occurred onboard on Saturday, setting the ship ablaze.

The tanker was carrying a full load of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at the time of the incident.

After the ship’s captain sent out an emergency distress call, EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, a European Union maritime security mission responsible for protecting civilian vessels and crews in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, immediately launched a search and rescue mission.

According to an official release from ASPIDES, “Under the direction of Rear Admiral Andrea Quondamatteo, Force Commander of ASPIDES, the operation successfully coordinated a search and rescue (SAR) mission.”

The statement further noted that another vessel, MV MEDA, played a vital role in saving the crew. “MV MEDA successfully rescued 24 crew members of MV Falcon, including one Ukrainian and 23 Indians,” ASPIDES confirmed.

Following the rescue, MV Falcon was escorted to the Port of Djibouti, where the saved crew members were safely handed over to the local Coast Guard authorities.

Out of the total 26 people on board, two crew members are still missing, according to reports.

ASPIDES has also issued a warning to all nearby vessels to maintain a safe distance from the tanker due to the continued risk of explosion, as the ship remains loaded with LPG.