Indian Coast Guard Rescues 13 Seafarers After Bulk Carrier Suffers Engine Failure In Powerful Cyclone

The Indian Coast Guard evacuated 20 crew members stranded on the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier MV Sigma Pearl off the coast of Andhra Pradesh.

The 180 m long vessel suffered from an engine failure due to worsening weather conditions amidst Cyclone Arnab, reports suggest. It eventually ran aground close to the Ravva oilfield off Antarvedi in the Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district after it lost power.

The 20,809-gross-tonnage vessel unloaded its cargo at Visakhapatnam port and set sail for Singapore on the midnight of October 27.

Soon after leaving the port, it encountered the powerful storm caused by the cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, which made landfall near Yanam in the early hours of October 28, with wind speeds between 125 and 135 kmph and gusts peaking at 150 kmph.

Powerful waves drifted the ship off course into dangerous waters near the offshore oil field as the crew members panicked and called for help.

After getting distress alerts, the Indian Coast Guard immediately sent a team for a coordinated sea-and-air rescue mission.

The ICGS Sujay, an offshore patrol vessel, was dispatched to assist the ship and its seafarers, along with a rescue helicopter which operated from a makeshift base at the Mogalthur helipad in West Godavari district.

The high waves and powerful winds made the rescue difficult, but the rescue team successfully airlifted 13 crew members directly onto the patrol ship before intensifying sorties to take the other 7 crew to safety.

The mission, which took almost 24 hours, was a success and no casualty was ported. Officials said that coastal surveillance and rapid deployment of naval assets to the scene and multi-agency coordination prevented what could have been a disaster in the wake of a cyclone.

The grounded bulk carrier will be salvaged and towed once the weather conditions improve and the intensity of the cyclone reduces.