PANAJI/PORVORIM
A passenger boat, MV K-Cat, caught fire early Saturday morning while docked at the Britona Jetty in River Mandovi. The incident occurred around 5:15 am but swift action by fire personnel and officials from the Captain of Ports prevented what could have been a major disaster.
The boat, equipped with air conditioning and other amenities, fortunately did not have any passengers or crew on board. Preliminary reports indicate the fire was caused by a short circuit.
Strong winds fanned the flames, which led the fire to rapidly engulf the vessel.
Porvorim Fire Station Officer Sandeep Naik said they received a call at about 5.15 am. A fire brigade rushed to the site but by then the rope of the cruise boat got burnt and the boat started drifting towards Panaji where several offshore casinos and boats are moored near the Ports Administration office.
“We then summoned the services of a tug vessel from the Captain of Ports. The tug towed the passenger boat to the Panaji jetty where the fire was doused,” said Naik.
The operation lasted more than an hour even as personnel were kept on standby to prevent any rekindling. Damage assessment and loss estimates will be submitted to the concerned departments.
