Six Crew Members Rescued After Cargo Vessel Sinks off Mangaluru
The Coast Guard said it received a distress alert around 12.15 pm on May 14 from ‘MT Epic Susui’, a passing vessel, which spotted the ‘Salamath’ drifting with six people onboard about 52 nautical miles off the coast of Surathkal, Karnataka.
Mangaluru: Six crew members of the cargo vessel ‘MSV Salamath’ were rescued by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) after their boat sank in the early hours of May 14, around 70 nautical miles (about 130 km) southwest of Mangaluru.
The Coast Guard said it received a distress alert around 12.15 pm on May 14 from ‘MT Epic Susui’, a passing vessel, which spotted the ‘Salamath’ drifting with six people onboard about 52 nautical miles off the coast of Surathkal, Karnataka.
The Coast Guard ship ICGS Vikram, which was on routine patrol in the area, was diverted to the spot. The Coat Guard quickly located the boat and safely brought all six onboard.
The crew—identified as Ismail Shareef, Alemun Ahmed Bhai Ghavda, Kakal Suleman Ismail, Akbar Abdul Surani, Kasam Ismail Mepani, and Azmal—managed to abandon the sinking boat and board a small dinghy, which helped them stay afloat until help arrived.
All six were given first aid and brought safely to New Mangalore Port on May 15. Local authorities are expected to question the crew to understand more about the circumstances leading to the sinking.
Preliminary reports suggest that ‘the Salamath’ had left Mangaluru Port on May 12, heading to Kadmat Island in Lakshadweep, carrying a mixed cargo of cement and construction materials. Around 5.30 am on May 14, the vessel began taking in water and eventually sank. The exact cause of the flooding is yet to be determined.
