Chennai: The Coast Guard has rescued 11crew members of a tug, which was stranded 25 nautical miles east of Chennai following a problem with its steering.
The tug was en route from Vishakapatnam to Mumbai when it developed a crack in the steering compartment, leading to flooding of the cabin and posed a threat of sinking, a statement by the Coast Guard said.
On receiving the information, Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre alerted ships operating in radius of 50 nautical miles from the tug.
A 'Mearsk Brooklyn' vessel operating close to the distressed ship was requested to provide assistance till the arrival of Coast Guard ship 'Varad'.
The Coast Guard vessel sailed at 10.20 AM from and rescued the crew. The crew has been brought back to Chennai. All the crew members are safe, the statement said.
