Indian Navy joins search operations for missing crew of capsized oil tanker off Oman

The Indian Navy on Wednesday said it deployed a vessel to aid in the search and rescue of the missing 16-member crew, including more than a dozen Indians, aboard a Comoros-flagged oil tanker that capsized off the coast of Oman.

A source in the Indian Navy told The National it has also deployed a ship and an aircraft for the search mission in co-ordination with Omani authorities.

The oil tanker, named Prestige Falcon, was heading to the Yemeni port of Aden when it capsized off Oman’s Duqm Port – a major port for oil and gas mining projects – on Monday.

It was carrying 13 Indians and three Sri Lankan crew members.

The country’s Maritime Security Centre said the vessel remained “submerged, inverted”.

Oman had immediately launched a search and rescue operation.

“One of our ships which is deployed in the area for Operation Sankalp, one of our mission-based ships deployed in the area that was diverted and carrying out search and rescue operations and this is being done with the co-ordination of Omani authorities,” the official said.

“One Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft has also been deployed for locating survivors. Till this morning, there was no input on any survivor being located.”

The vessel is a 117-metre oil products tanker built in 2007, shipping data showed. Such small tankers are typically used for short coastal voyages.

The ship is owned by United Arab Emirates-based Netco FZE, according to the Equasis marine database. The port of Duqm is on Oman’s south-west coast, close to the sultanate’s main oil and gas projects. These include a major oil refinery in Duqm’s vast industrial zone, Oman’s biggest single economic project.
Source: The National News