13 Indians Among 16 Crew Members Missing After Oil Tanker Sinks Off Oman Coast
13 Indians Among 16 Crew Members Missing After Oil Tanker Sinks Off Oman Coast
Sixteen crew members, including 13 Indians, are missing after an oil tanker carrying them capsized off the coast of Oman. The Indian Navy has deployed a warship and a surveillance aircraft to join the search operations.
An oil tanker, ‘Prestige Falcon’, carrying 16 crew members, including 13 Indians and three Sri Lankans, capsized off the coast of Oman, according to the country’s maritime security center. The vessel capsized 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah near the Omani port of Duqm on Monday. Search and rescue operations are currently underway to locate the missing crew members.
Updates regarding the recent capsizing incident of the Comoros flagged oil tanker southeast of Ras Madrakah pic.twitter.com/PxVLxlTQGD
— مركز الأمن البحري| MARITIME SECURITY CENTRE (@OMAN_MSC) July 16, 2024
Key Points
• Oil tanker heading to Yemen’s Aden Port capsizes off coast of Oman
• 13 Indians and 3 Sri Lankans were onboard an oil tanker
• Rescue operations underway, Navy deploys warship and surveillance aircraft
The Indian Navy has joined the rescue efforts, deploying the warship INS Tej and the surveillance aircraft P-8I, navy sources confirmed. Omani vessels and personnel are also engaged in the search for the crew of the Comoros-flagged ship.
The vessel was heading to the Yemeni port of Aden, according to shipping data by LSEG. The Omani Maritime Security Centre reported that the oil tanker remained “submerged and inverted,” though it did not confirm whether the vessel had stabilized or if oil or oil products were leaking into the sea.
The ‘Prestige Falcon’ is a 117-meter-long oil products tanker built in 2007. Such small tankers are generally deployed for short voyages. Duqm Port, situated on Oman’s southwest coast, is a major hub for the country’s oil and gas projects, including a significant oil refinery that forms part of Duqm’s vast industrial zone, the kingdom’s largest single economic project.
The incident highlights the ongoing risks faced by maritime workers and underscores the importance of robust safety and emergency response measures in the shipping industry.
