AP Moller-Maersk has said hope is fading for four seafarers missing after a fire on the Maersk Honam 340 miles from India's Lakshadweep Islands.
Comprehensive search efforts have failed to find the crewmen following the blaze on the 15,262-teu boxship (built 2017) on Tuesday.
“While search operation continues, the hope of finding our missing colleagues is fading," said AP Moller-Maersk COO Soren Toft.
"We are in contact with their families and they know that tragically, the time passed decreases the likelihood of finding their loved ones alive. Our thoughts and prayers go to them.”
Two of the missing are Filipinos, one is South African and the other is Indian.
A total of 23 crew were rescued, but a Thai national has since died of his injuries.
Maersk said another Thai and a Filipino were in urgent need of medical care as their conditions worsened.
"They have been evacuated by an Indian navy vessel and handed over to the Indian coast guard of Trivandrum and are now receiving medical treatment," it added.
"They are accompanied by one of the evacuated Indian colleagues with local language skills."
The remaining 19 crew members are on the 4,380-teu containership ALS Ceres (built 2010) en route to Cochin in India, where medical professionals and crisis psychologists have been arranged.
“We are doing our outmost to care for and closely follow the conditions of all evacuated colleagues. Also, we have an ongoing contact with their closest relatives,” Toft added.
More firefighting vessels are still approaching the ship.
Maersk Honam reported a serious fire in a cargo hold on Tuesday while en route from Singapore towards Suez.
Maersk Line said the fire continues and it described the situation of the vessel as “very critical”.
The Singapore-flagged ship is currently positioned around 900 nautical miles southeast of Salalah, Oman.
