8 out of 13 Indians rescued after Comoros-flagged cargo vessel capsizes off Oman coast

New Delhi, July 17

Eight out of 13 Indians onboard a Comoros-flagged cargo vessel that capsized off Oman coast three days ago have been rescued, official sources said on Wednesday.

The vessel MT Falcon Prestige had capsized on July 14. Thirteen Indian seafarers were onboard the ship.

Nine crew members from MT Falcon Prestige – eight Indians and one Sri Lankan – have been rescued during the search operations, the sources said.

The search and rescue operations to find the remaining crew members will continue in the area, they said.

The Indian embassy in Oman has been in contact with the authorities concerned in the Gulf nation, the sources said.

The vessel, MT Falcon Prestige, transmitted a distress call around 2200 hours on July 14 off the coast of Oman, one of the sources said earlier.

The merchant vessel has a crew of 16, of which 13 are Indian seafarers, they said.

“Our embassy in Oman is in constant touch with the Omani authorities. A search and rescue operation for the seafarers, coordinated by the Oman Maritime Security Center (OMSC), is on,” one of the sources said.

“Indian Navy has also joined the search and rescue operations,” the source said.