Image Source: PTI

Kakinada: The Indian Coast Guard on Thursday rescued 13 crew members of a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier vessel, Sigma Pearl, stranded near the Ravva oilfield off the Kakinada coast in Andhra Pradesh. The ship while navigating had an engine failure while navigating in the Bay of Bengal due to rough weather conditions that prevailed due to the very severe cyclonic storm, Arnab.

The Coast Guard rescue operation was still underway off the seaside village of Antaravedi in Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district to airlift the remaining seven crew members from the 180-metre-long vessel, as per official sources.

The Coast Guard deployed a helicopter and a vessel to assist the stranded crew. Rescue personnel were using a helipad at Mogalthur village in West Godavari district to coordinate operations. The Indian Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Sujay was also dispatched towards the stranded cargo ship.

According to available information, the vessel was returning to Singapore after unloading cargo at Visakhapatnam port. It departed the port on October 27, as Cyclone Arnab approached the AP coast ahead of its landfall near Yanam in the early hours of October 28.

Vessel-tracking platform MarineTraffic had listed the ship’s status as “Vessel is out of range” two days earlier. Its last recorded movement indicated that it was travelling along its intended route.

Authorities in West Godavari district were extending assistance to the Indian Coast Guard to facilitate the rescue operation. The Handy-size vessel with 20,809 gross tonnage left Vizag after unloading cargo at the port for Singapore, but was caught up in the rough sea during the very severe cyclonic storm.

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