16 Crew Members Of Capsized Oil Tanker Off Oman Coast Still Missing, Search Underway
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A search and rescue operation is underway for the 16-member crew of the Comoros-flagged oil tanker, “Prestige Falcon” that capsized off the coast of Oman on July 15, 2024.
The crew consists of 13 Indian nationals and three Sri Lankans.
The Oman Maritime Security Centre (MSC) confirmed the incident on July 16, 2024.
The MSC informed Reuters that the vessel remains submerged and inverted.
No confirmation has been made of whether the tanker has stabilized or if the oil is leaking into the sea.
According to LSEG Shipping data, the “Prestige Falcon,” a 117-meter-long oil products tanker built in 2007, capsized off Oman’s major industrial port of Duqm while en route to the Yemeni port of Aden.
These tankers are commonly used for short coastal journeys.
In collaboration with maritime officials, Omani authorities initiated a search and rescue mission immediately after the incident.
The Indian Navy has deployed the warship INS Teg and the maritime surveillance aircraft P-81 to assist in the search and rescue efforts.
The port of Duqm, located on Oman’s southwest coast, serves as a crucial hub for the country’s oil and gas industries, including a major oil refinery that is part of Duqm’s extensive industrial zone- Oman’s largest economic project.
In a separate incident, the Indian Embassy in Oman reported a gunshot near a Shiite mosque in Muscat on July 15, 2024, killing one Indian national and injuring another.
The attack occurred at the Shiite observance of Ashura, killing nine people and injuring 28.
Four Pakistani nationals lost their lives in the incident.
Oman, with a population of over four million, has a large number of expatriate workers, mainly from South Asia.
The incident adds to the continuous difficulties encountered by Indian maritime employees.
In the most recent incident, 17 Indian crew members of the MSC Aries were seized by Iranian forces in April and then released following negotiations.
Furthermore, in 2022, Equatorial Guinea’s Navy detained 16 Indian crew members for nine months.
The Maritime Security Centre and Oman’s defense ministry did not provide additional information about the capsized tanker’s potential environmental damage.
The vessel sent out a distress call at 22:00 local time (16:30 GMT) on Sunday before capsizing 25 nautical miles southeast of Oman’s Ras Madrakah peninsula.
Reference: BBC, LiveMint
16 Crew Members Of Capsized Oil Tanker Off Oman Coast Still Missing, Search Underway appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide
Source: Maritime Shipping News