Suspected drone attack on merchant ship off Gujarat coast; crew, vessel safe: Coast Guard
Mumbai, Dec 23: A suspected drone attack led to an explosion and a fire on a merchant ship with 21 Indians onboard off the Gujarat coast on Saturday morning, disrupting its power supply, Coast Guard sources said.
The 22-member crew and the vessel, Chem Pluto, are "safe", they said.
The ship was on its way to New Mangalore from Saudi Arabia, the sources said.
The fire has been extinguished and the ship's engineers are working to restore its electricity supply which got disrupted in the incident, they said.
Indian Coast Guard Ship Vikram, which was on Exclusive Economic Zone patrol, was diverted to the site, they said.
"The MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) Mumbai received an email from the ship's agent, Fleet Management, about a fire on board suspected due to a drone attack 217 nautical miles off Porbandar at around 10 am," said an official from the maritime security agency.
The vessel has 21 Indians, including the master, and a Nepali citizen, the official added.
"The crew could extinguish the fire and the engineers are working to restore electricity. The MRCC also diverted (merchant navy ship) MV Marlin which found that the crew was safe," the official said.
"We will be investigating if it was a drone attack," the official added.
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UP: Congress workers in Amethi celebrate Priyanka Gandhi's birthday
Amethi (UP) (PTI): Congress National General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's birthday was celebrated at the party's office in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi on Monday.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is the Lok Sabha MP from Kerala's Wayanad, turned 54 on Monday.
The party workers on the occasion exchanged sweets and wished her a long and healthy life. Her leadership and dedication to public service were also praised.
Lok Sabha MP from Amethi, Kishori Lal Sharma, congratulated Priyanka Gandhi on her birthday.
In a post on Facebook, Sharma wrote, "Heartfelt birthday wishes to Congress General Secretary and popular Member of Parliament from Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi Ji, a leader with an unwavering commitment to public service, and a dynamic and influential leader who stands with the common people in every situation."
Calling her struggle and dedication are an inspiration to party workers, District Congress unit President Pradeep Singhal said that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has always championed the voices of the common people, women, youth, and farmers.
District spokesperson of the Congress, Anil Singh, said that the "MGNREGA Bachao Sangram," against the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen) Act, which will run from January 12 to 29, was also launched on Monday.
From today onwards, Congress workers will go to villages and expose the truth about the central government's scheme, formerly known as MGNREGA, and how the government is violating people's rights, attempting to erase Mahatma Gandhi's ideals, and promoting communalism.
The VB-G RAM G Act replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, enacted by the UPA government in 2005.
Warm birthday wishes to AICC General Secretary and MP, @priyankagandhi ji. I wish her good health, happiness and a bright future ahead.
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) January 12, 2026
Her compassion and courage, steadfast commitment to the Constitution, and strong voice, both inside and outside the Parliament, fighting for…
