A courageous rescue operation has saved 23 Indian crew members from the MV Falcon, a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker that caught fire and was left adrift off the Yemen coast following a massive explosion. The rescued individuals have been safely transferred to the Djiboutian Coast Guard.
The incident unfolded on a Saturday (October 18, 2025) when the Cameroon-flagged MV Falcon, en route from the port of Aden, Yemen, to Djibouti, suffered an explosion onboard, leading to an immediate blaze. The vessel was carrying a full cargo of highly volatile LPG.
Upon receiving an urgent distress call from the tanker’s captain, EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, a naval force dedicated to protecting civilian shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, swiftly launched a search and rescue (SAR) mission.
A statement from ASPIDES confirmed the successful coordination of the operation, noting, “MV MEDA successfully rescued 24 crewmembers of MV FALCON (1 Ukrainian and 23 Indians).”
Following the rescue, the MV Falcon was escorted to the Port of Djibouti. While 24 crew members were accounted for (including the 23 Indians and 1 Ukrainian), reports indicate that two crew members from the original complement of 26 remain missing.
Due to the inherent risk of further explosions from the LPG cargo, ASPIDES has issued warnings to all maritime authorities, advising vessels in the vicinity to maintain a safe distance from the stricken tanker.