Indian Coast Guard Rescue
The Indian Coast Guard has rescued 12 crew members of a merchant ship belonging to the country. The ship sank in the North Arabian Sea while on a voyage from Porbandar in Gujarat to Bandar Abbas port in Iran. The ship ‘MSV Al Piranpir’ sank in Pakistan’s search and rescue zone outside Indian waters on Wednesday, officials said on Thursday. Therefore, the Indian Coast Guard along with Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) conducted the rescue operation.
The rescue mission saw close collaboration between the Indian Coast Guard and PMSA, with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers (MRCC) of both countries maintaining constant communication throughout the operation.
The ship left on 2 December
The merchant ship had left Porbandar for the Iranian port with general cargo on 2 December. It sank due to storm and flood in the sea on Wednesday morning. A distress call was received by the Indian Coast Guard’s MRCC, Mumbai, which immediately alerted the ICG Regional Headquarters (North West) at Gandhinagar. ICG ship Sarthak was immediately sent to the specified location. MRCC Pakistan was also contacted to alert sailors in the area and their assistance was immediately provided, the release said. Later, the ship reached the probable location and conducted an extensive search operation.
Sailor found 270 km away
It said the 12 crew members, who had abandoned their ship and taken shelter in a small boat, were found and rescued in a search and rescue area in Pakistan, about 270 km west of Dwarka. The search for survivors was assisted by PMSA aircraft and the merchant ship MV Cosco Glory. The rescued crew members were examined by a medical team onboard Sarthak and reported to be in good health. They are being taken back to Porbandar port, the release said. (Input- PTI)
