2024-07-18 04:00:42
New Delhi: Nine crew members on board a Comoros-flagged cargo ship that sank three days ago off the Oman coast have been rescued. Defence officials said Indian Navy warship INS Teg has rescued nine crew members, including eight Indians and one Sri Lankan, who were on board a Comoros-flagged oil tanker that capsized off the Oman coast on July 15. A total of 13 Indians were on board the ship. The Indian Navy had also deployed its maritime surveillance aircraft P-8I along with Omani ships and personnel to carry out search and rescue operations.
Search and rescue operations will continue in the area to locate the remaining crew members. According to sources, the Indian Embassy in Oman is in touch with the concerned authorities of the Gulf country. A source had earlier said that the ship MT Falcon Prestige had sent an emergency message off the coast of Oman at around 10 pm on July 14. He said that there were 16 crew members on board the ship, out of which 13 are Indians. Search and rescue operations for the sailors, coordinated by the Oman Maritime Security Center (OMSC), are underway. He said that the Indian Navy has also joined the search and rescue operation.
Where did this ship depart from
According to a shipping website marinetraffic.com, the ship had departed from Dubai’s Hamriya port and was heading towards Yemen’s port city of Aden. Duqm port is the main hub of Oman’s major oil and gas mining projects. Its location was updated four days ago. This ship (oil product tanker) named Prestige Falcon was built in 2007, whose length is said to be 117 meters. According to CBS News and news agency AFP, MSC has not given the reason for the capsizing of Prestige Falcon.