VISAKHAPATNAM: Nine fishermen were injured off the Andhra Pradesh coast due to a cooking gas cylinder blast while preparing lunch on Friday, said an Indian Coast Guard (ICG) official.
The cylinder exploded around 2:30 pm on the fishing boat Durga Bhavani in the Bay of Bengal between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, said the official.
"Out of the nine, five were seriously injured. ICS ship Veera was diverted to help the fishermen stranded mid-sea," the Coast Guard official told PTI, and added that there were fractures and severe burns.
After extending first aid, the Coast Guard ship is bringing the injured fishermen to the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam for further treatment at the King George Hospital (KGH) in the port city, he said.
According to the Coast Guard official, the fire accident occurred around 70 nautical miles off Vizag and the fishermen could reach the shore only at around 8 pm.