The Indian Navy coordinated a major sea rescue and firefighting operation after the MT Falcon, a fully loaded LPG tanker, suffered an explosion and erupted in flames roughly 116 nautical miles east of Aden in the Gulf of Aden. The incident left the LPG tanker adrift and prompted an international response that included merchant ships, naval units and salvage teams. The Indian Navy later recovered the bodies of two missing crew members after boarding the burning MT Falcon to carry out damage assessment and recovery work.
Timeline and immediate facts
The blast aboard the MT Falcon occurred on October 20, 2025, while the ship was transiting in the Gulf of Aden. The vessel was carrying 26 people and was fully laden with liquefied petroleum gas a volatile cargo that made firefighting urgent and complicated. Passing merchant vessels rescued most of the crew, and international naval coordination helped move survivors to safety. The Indian Navy ship INS Trikand arrived to coordinate firefighting, board the damaged LPG tanker, and carry out recovery and medical assistance.
Rescue, firefighting and recovery actions
Merchant ships in the area initially rescued 24 crew members; they were later landed at Djibouti with the help of naval escorts. The sea rescue phase prioritized saving lives and keeping other ships clear of the burning MT Falcon. After survivors were safe, the Indian Navy focused on firefighting and salvage support. INS Trikand worked with a salvage tug hired by the ship’s owners, conducting coordinated firefighting actions to bring the blaze under control and stabilize the LPG tanker for further operations.
Boardings and bodies recovered
Once the fire was sufficiently suppressed, a specialized team from the Indian Navy boarded the MT Falcon. They worked in extreme conditions intense heat, damaged structures and toxic fumes and recovered the remains of two crew members who had been reported missing after the initial evacuations. The Indian Navy handed the recovered remains to the Indian Embassy in Djibouti for further action and repatriation protocol. This phase of the mission emphasized the grim realities of maritime emergencies involving gas cargoes.
Cause under investigation — attack or accident?
Initial reports suggested the MT Falcon may have been struck by an unknown projectile, but authorities later said they could not yet confirm the source of the blast and did not rule out an onboard accident. The incident was initially flagged by UK Maritime Trade Operations and later reclassified as an advisory while investigations continue. The ambiguity over cause whether hostile action or technical failure adds geopolitical and legal complexity to the response around this LPG tanker casualty.
Vessel background and operational questions
Analysts and open-source trackers flagged questions about the MT Falcon’s recent activity. Reports indicated the ship loaded Iranian LPG at Assaluyeh on September 25, 2025, and may have been bound for Ras Isa in Yemen. Tanker Trackers and others noted the vessel’s age, a prior detention for deficiencies earlier in 2025, and the lack of a known insurer factors that raise operational and regulatory concerns for a ship carrying hazardous cargo in a tense region. Those details shaped how rescue and salvage teams approached the damaged LPG tanker.
International coordination and maritime security context
The response combined merchant initiative, multilateral naval support and regional coastguard actions a typical pattern when incidents occur in the Gulf of Aden. EUNAVFOR ASPIDES and UN-linked maritime reporting centres helped coordinate initial search and rescue responses, while naval escorts safeguarded rescued seafarers en route to port. The sea rescue sequence shows how civilian and naval actors converge rapidly to save lives, then shift to firefighting and investigation tasks. In a region with a history of attacks on shipping, such coordination is essential.
Practical and technical lessons
There are clear practical lessons from the MT Falcon case for ship operators, mariners and students:
- Carrying volatile cargo like LPG demands stringent maintenance, up-to-date safety equipment and well-drilled emergency plans.
- Rapid distress signalling and immediate assistance from nearby vessels were crucial in the early sea rescue phase.
- Salvage operations for an LPG tanker require specialized tugs, firefighting expertise and careful risk assessment before boarding.
- Vessel vetting, insurance status and prior deficiency records matter hugely when an emergency unfolds; older or detained ships complicate rescue and legal follow-up.
Human cost and crew welfare
Beyond technicalities, the story is about people: crew members pulled from lifeboats, families waiting for news, and naval teams risking heat and fumes to recover the missing. The Indian Navy’s role in both saving lives and recovering remains underscores the emotional weight of maritime incidents. Post-incident, proper medical care, repatriation and counselling for survivors and bereaved families are immediate priorities. The human toll should also push shipowners and regulators to redouble safety precautions aboard LPG tanker operations.
Also read – Indian Coast Guard Leads Successful Rescue of 31 Fishermen Adrift in Arabian Sea
What comes next
Investigations will aim to determine whether the MT Falcon’s explosion was caused by an external strike or an internal accident. Salvage specialists will continue stabilising or removing hazard from the LPG tanker, while authorities review documentation, crew statements and sensor data. For maritime stakeholders and students, this incident will be studied for lessons on risk management, regional security impacts, and the importance of coordinated sea rescue capabilities when hazardous cargoes are involved.
The burning of the MT Falcon in the Gulf of Aden is a reminder that shipping carries risk as well as reward. The Indian Navy and merchant crews who helped in the sea rescue deserve recognition for saving lives and facing danger to recover the missing. For the maritime community, the event asks a simple question: how do we make sure every LPG tanker voyage is as safe as it can be — for crew, for rescuers, and for the sea itself? That question matters more than headlines.
Source (gCaptain)(shippingtribune.com) (Reuters)
