July 18, Colombo (LNW): In the wake of an oil tanker capsising off the coast of Oman, search and rescue efforts have successfully saved nine crew members, including a Sri Lankan national, the Indian Express reported citing sources.
The rescue operation, carried out by the Indian warship INS Teg, also saved eight Indian crew members.
Efforts to locate the remaining crew members are ongoing.
The Indian Navy spokesperson posted on X, asserting that the search and rescue mission, involving both Indian and Omani resources, is being conducted under challenging weather conditions, including rough seas and strong winds.
In addition to INS Teg, the Indian Navy has deployed a P-18 long-range maritime surveillance aircraft to search for the 16 missing crew members, which includes 13 Indians.
The oil tanker, named MT Prestige Falcon, capsised around 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah, near the port town of Duqm, on Monday.
The Indian Embassy in Muscat is actively coordinating with Omani authorities in the ongoing search and rescue operations.
Oman’s Maritime Security Centre reported that the vessel, a Comoros-flagged oil tanker, remains submerged and inverted.
The centre did not confirm whether there has been any oil leakage from the tanker or if the vessel has stabilised following the capsising.
According to shipping data from LSEG, the tanker was en route to the Yemeni port of Aden when it capsised off the coast of Duqm, an industrial port located on Oman’s southwest coast.
