Oil tanker capsize in Oman: Eight Indians, one Sri Lankan rescued as search operations continue

As the search and rescue operations continue in the aftermath of an oil tanker capsize off the coast of Oman, nine crew members, including eight Indians have been rescued by the warship INS Teg,  sources said.

The rescued individuals also include one Sri Lankan national. Sources further stated that the search and rescue operations to find the remaining crew members will continue in the area.

In a post on social media platform X, Spokesperson of the Indian Navy stated, “The #SearchAndRescue by Indian & Omani assets is being undertaken in challenging weather conditions as the area is experiencing rough sea & strong winds.”

The Indian Navy also informed that apart from INS Teg, it has deployed P-18, a long range maritime surveillance aircraft to look for 16 crew members, including 13 Indians, who had gone missing when the oil tanker named MT Prestige Falcon capsized around 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah, near the port town of Duqm, on Monday.

Indian Embassy in Muscat also informed that it is coordinating search and rescue operations with Omani authorities.

Oman’s Maritime Security Center informed that the vessel was a Comoros-flagged oil tanker and told Reuters that the vessel remained “submerged and inverted”.

The centre, however, did not confirm whether the oil or oil products in the vessel were leaking into the sea or if the vessel had stabilised after capsizing.

As per the shipping data of LSEG, the oil tanker was heading towards the Yemeni port of Aden and capsized off Oman’s Duqm, which is an industrial port and located on the southwest coast of the country.

Source: The Indian Express
--Agencies