Indian Coast Guard coordinates rescue of 13 Indian crew members aboard distressed vessel

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Thursday morning coordinated the rescue of 13 Indian crew members from a sinking vessel which was on its way to Okha in Gujarat.

Merchant tanker MT Reem 5 was on passage from Basrah in Iran to Hazira, Gujarat in India, about 210 Nautical Miles (NM) from Okha. The tanker had reported flooding in the engine room and was sinking quickly.

Upon receiving the distress call, Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Mumbai, immediately established contact with both the ship and MRCC Karachi as the vessel was positioned at was 90 NM inside Pakistan Search and Rescue Region.

Moreover, MRCC Mumbai also identified that MV Ganga was operating in close vicinity of the Merchant tanker and directed the vessel to rescue the crew in distress.

All the 13 crew were rescued by MV Ganga on Thursday morning, despite the severe rough sea conditions. The Indian Coast Guard is closely monitoring the status of MT Reem 5.

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ICG rescue 250 distressed fishermen

In another heroic incident, over 250 fishermen who were in distress in rough sea conditions were rescued with the combined efforts of Indian Coast Guard and merchant vessels transiting in the Arabian sea in December last year.

The ICG responded to a message from Tamil Nadu Fisheries authority Kolachel intimating about the distress of 50 stranded Fishing Boats at a distance of 250 Nautical Miles West of Goa.

READ | Goa: ICG Conducts Search And Rescue Workshop

After receiving a distress call on December 3, about seven Merchant Vessels transiting through the area responded to the Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Centre were requested to assist in the rescue operation of the distressed fishing boats until the Indian Coast Guard ships arrived in the area. 

Indian Merchant Vessel Navdhenu Purna rescued 86 fishermen from 07 IFBs and a Japanese flag vessel MV Towada rescued around 34 fishermen from the distressed fishing boats. Five more merchant vessels joined the rescue operation to rescue as many as 264 fishermen, upon the request of the Indian Coast Guard and Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.

READ | Over 250 Distressed Fishermen Rescued By ICG And Merchant Vessels' Rescue Operation