Indian Navy’s INS Teg rescues 8 Indians, one Sri Lankan national from capsized tanker MV Prestige Falcon
A Comoros-flagged oil tanker with 16 crews including 13 Indians onboard capsized off Oman, according to the Maritime Security Centre. The tanker was reportedly heading to the Yemeni port of Aden and capsized off Oman's major industrial port of Duqm.
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FollowIn a major relief, Indian Navy warship INS Teg has been managed to rescue 8 Indians and one Sri Lankan from the capsized oil tanker MV Prestige Falcon, on Wednesday evening. Sources in the government establishment said that the search and rescue operations to find the remaining crew members will continue in the area.
As part of the mission deployment, the Indian Navy pressed in INS Teg and surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft P8I for search and rescue operation for the MV Prestige Falcon which capsized on July 15 about 25 nautical miles (NM) southeast of Ras Madrakah in Oman.
The oil tanker was heading to the Yemeni port city of Aden. An Indian Navy official said that the search and rescue efforts have been launched in coordination with Oman Authorities since July 16. As per the reports, the capsized oil tanker had a total of 16 crew, including 13 Indians and 03 Sri Lankans. Of them, nine have been rescued.
“The search and rescue by Indian and Omani assets is being undertaken in challenging weather conditions as the area is experiencing rough sea and strong winds,” the Navy said. “Indian Navy's Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft P8I is also assisting in search for survivors,” it said.
On July 14 at 2200 hours, a Comoros-flagged vessel, MV Falcon Prestige, transmitted a distress call off the coast of Oman. A source in the government establishment said that the Indian Embassy in Oman was in constant touch with the Omani authorities since the distress call made by the capsized vessel. Built in 2007, the MV Prestige Falcon is a 117-metre-long oil tanker, registered in Comoros.
Earlier, on November 27, a cargo ship carrying 14 crew members including Indian crew members, sank off the coast of Lesbos island in Greece due to high-speed winds. The Comoros-flagged ship Raptor, which was travelling from Dekheila, Egypt to Istanbul carrying a load of salt, sank 4.5 nautical miles (8.3 km) southwest of Lesbos.
