Indian Coast Guard Rescues 11 People From Sinking Cargo Ship In A Swift Sea-Air Operation

Vessel — Image for representation purposes only

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully rescued 11 crew members from MV ITT Puma, a sinking cargo ship in the Bay of Bengal, on the night of August 26, 2024.

The ship was en route from Kolkata to Port Blair when it reportedly sank due to rough seas about 90 nautical miles south of Sagar Island.

The Maritime Search & Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Chennai received a distress signal late on August 25. The ICG immediately dispatched two of its ships, Sarang and Amogh, and also a Dornier aircraft outfitted with enhanced night-capable sensors, to locate and rescue the stranded crew.

The Dornier aircraft was crucial in spotting drifting life rafts and identifying the crew’s survival red flares. The aircraft guided the ICG ships to the coordinates where two life rafts had been found tied together, sheltering the survivors.

Despite severe weather conditions, the coordinated sea-air operation was completed successfully, assuring the safety of all 11 crew members.

@IndiaCoastGuard executed an unprecedented swift night operation, rescuing 11 lives in a coordinated sea-air #SAR mission. The MV ITT PUMA sank 90 nautical miles south of #SagarIsland en route from #Kolkata to #PortBlair. #ICG Ships Sarang and Amogh braving rough seas, in… pic.twitter.com/sbSjzixU1U

— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) August 26, 2024

Video Credits: Indian Navy/X

The rescue operation demonstrates the ICG’s dedication to maritime safety. The sea-air operation comes just days after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Chennai on August 18, 2024.

The new facility, equipped with advanced communication systems and the most recent crisis monitoring technologies, aims to improve the coordination and effectiveness of maritime rescue operations.

On August 24, the ICG conducted a similar rescue operation when a Dornier aircraft found a fishing boat, IFB Angel, adrift due to an engine defect about 70 kilometers southeast of Diu.

The distressed vessel, carrying nine crew members on board, was safely pulled to Jafarabad by the ICG Ship Rajratan amid high waves.

Reference: ICG, Deccan Herald

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