Indian warship rescues 9 crew members of oil tanker that capsized off Oman coast
Indian Navy said that search is underway to rescue the rest of the missing crew
The Indian Navy on Wednesday (July 17) successfully deployed INS Teg to rescue nine of the 16 crew members including eight Indians of an oil tanker which capsized in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman.
The tanker, the MT Prestige Falcon, capsized late on Monday about 25 nautical miles (29 miles) southeast of Oman's Ras Madrakah area, according to Oman's Maritime Security Agency.
Rough seas, strong winds
The cause of the capsizing and the condition of the tanker and its cargo were not immediately known. But the Indian Navy, which sent a warship to help in the search operations, said the rescue teams were dealing with rough seas and strong winds.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Navy said eight Indians and another crew member had been rescued, and that Indian and Omani teams were continuing to search for others.
“#IndianNavy's mission deployed warship #INSTeg, rendering SAR assistance for the capsized Oil Tanker MV #PrestigeFalcon, has rescued 09 (08 Indians & 01 Sri Lankan) personnel. The MV had capsized about 25 NM southeast of Ras Madrakah, #Oman on #15Jul 24 & SAR efforts in coordination with Oman Authorities are in progress since AM 16 Jul 24,” the navy posted on X.
“The MV is reported to have had a total of 16 crew, incl 13 Indians & 03 Sri Lankans. The #SearchAndRescue by Indian & Omani assets is being undertaken in challenging weather conditions as the area is experiencing rough sea & strong winds. #IndiaNavy's Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft P8I is also assisting in search for survivors,” it said.
‘One crew member dead’
The crew included 13 Indians and three Sri Lankans. Oman's state news agency reported that, along with the nine rescued, one other crew member had died.
The 117-metre-long (383-foot) Prestige Falcon, flying the flag of Comoros, had been carrying a cargo of oil products from the port of Hamriya in the United Arab Emirates to the Yemeni port of Aden, according to the shipping-tracking website marinetraffic.com.
