The Indian Navy has rescued eight of the 13 Indians who were onboard the capsized vessel Prestige Falcon off the Oman coast. Besides the eight Indians, one Sri Lankan was also rescued. The oil tanker capsized late Monday about 25 nautical miles (29 miles) southeast of Oman's Ras Madrakah area.
In a statement, the Navy said eight Indians and another crew member had been rescued. One other crew member had died. The Indian and Omani teams were continuing to search for others. The crew included 13 Indians and three Sri Lankans.
A video shared by the Indian Navy showed the men onboard the Indian Navy warship INS Teg. The warship was deployed along with maritime surveillance aircraft P-8I to aid Omani vessels and personnel in carrying out search and rescue missions.
The Oman's Maritime Security Agency said the cause of the capsizing and the condition of the tanker and its cargo were not immediately known. However, sources with the Indian Navy said the rescue mission was hampered by rough seas and strong winds.
#WATCH | Operations by the Indian Navy warship INS Teg off Oman coast for search and rescue of the crew of an oil tanker which capsized there on July 15. Eight Indians and One Sri Lankan have already been rescued while the search for others is underway.
— ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2024
(Video: Indian Navy) pic.twitter.com/7PAZ3Qb49t
The vessel remains "submerged and inverted" but it is still unclear whether there was an oil spill.
As per the shipping data, the vessel was heading to the Yemeni port of Aden and capsized off Oman's major industrial port of Duqm. The vessel is a 117-metre-long oil products tanker built in 2007 and mostly used for short coastal voyages, Reuters quoted the shipping data.
