Rescuers successfully saved nine crew members and recovered the body of one individual after their oil tanker sank in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman.
The search teams responded to the oil tanker MT Prestige Falcon after it capsized late on Monday, approximately 25 nautical miles (46.3 km) from Oman’s Ras Madrakah, according to Oman’s maritime security agency on Wednesday. The vessel had thirteen Indian and three Sri Lankan nationals on board.
It was not immediately clear what caused the Comorian-flagged ship to capsize. But the Indian Navy, which sent a warship to help in search operations, said teams were dealing with rough seas and strong winds.
India’s navy stated that eight Indian nationals were among those rescued, and that joint Indian and Omani teams were continuing the search for the remaining individuals.
A long-range naval reconnaissance aircraft was deployed to assist in the search for the six crew members who are still unaccounted for.
Since 2008, India’s navy has maintained continuous deployment in the Arabian Sea, participating in numerous rescue operations, especially in response to a rise in regional piracy attacks over the past year.
The MT Prestige Falcon, a 117-meter (384-foot) long vessel that began operations in 2007, was en route to the port city of Aden before encountering difficulties.
