^{Photo credit: Spokesperson of the Indian Navy}

Indian Navy’s stealth frigate INS Tabar, on mission deployment in the Gulf of Oman, responded to a distress call from a Palau-flagged oil product tanker on June 29.

The spokesperson of the Indian Navy said on Monday in a post on X (former twitter) that “the vessel with 14 crew members of Indian origin, transiting from Kandla, India to Shinas, Oman, experienced a major fire in the engine room and total power failure onboard.”

According to a statement from the Indian Navy spokesperson, a fire fighting team and equipment from INS Tabar were transferred onboard by the ship’s boat and helicopter.

As of the latest update, 13 Indian naval personnel and five crew members of the stricken tanker are engaged in firefighting operations.

The Indian Navy confirmed that the intensity of the fire has been reduced drastically.

This story is under development and more news will come as they become available.