Eight Indians rescued from capsized oil tanker off Oman

New Delhi, July 17

Nine of the 16 missing crew members of oil tanker MV Prestige Falcon have been rescued by Indian Navy’s warship INS Teg. Of the nine, eight are Indian nationals and one is from Sri Lanka.

The Indian Navy had pressed its long-range maritime surveillance aircraft, the Boeing P8I, and a warship to locate the 16-member crew, including 13 Indian nationals and three Sri Lankans, who were on board an oil tanker that capsized two days ago off the coast of Oman.

Indian government officials added that the search for the remaining crew members would continue in the area.

The Comoros-flagged oil tanker MV Prestige Falcon capsized 25 nautical miles (some 42 km) southeast of Ras Madrakah in Oman in the evening of July 15.

Sources said an Indian Navy warship deployed in the region and was undergoing an ‘operational turn around’ at a port in west Asia, was sailed out at short notice to render assistance. Search and rescue efforts are progressing in coordination with Oman. The sea condition is rough with strong winds. The Boeing P8I has specific radars and area sensors that it carries.

Distress call on July 14

The capsized Comoros flagged vessel, MT Falcon Prestige, transmitted a distress call around 10 pm on July 14 off the coast of Oman.

A source said the Indian Embassy in Oman is in constant touch with the Omani authorities. The Indian warship was carrying out an operational turnaround in the area from where it was directed on July 15 to carry out search and rescue missions. The warship had located the capsizing oil tanker on July 16 morning.

The Maritime Security Centre said in a post on X, “A Comoros-flagged oil tanker capsized 25 NM southeast of Ras Madrakah. SAR Ops initiated with the relevant authorities.” The tanker was heading to the Yemeni port of Aden, as per the shipping data by LSEG. The vessel is a 117-metre-long oil products tanker built in 2007, LSEG’s shipping data showed. (With agency inputs)