Nine crew members out of 16, who went missing after the oil tanker MT Falcon Prestige capsized off the coast of Oman, have been rescued, sources reported. Among the rescued, eight are Indians and one is from Sri Lanka. The entire crew of the Comoros-flagged oil tanker went missing after it capsized 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah, near the port town of Duqm in Oman. Among the 16 crew members, three were Sri Lankan nationals.
Duqm, located on Oman’s southwest coast, is close to significant oil and gas projects, including a major oil refinery within Duqm’s vast industrial zone, the largest economic project in Oman.
According to the shipping website marinetraffic.com, the oil tanker was en route to the Yemeni port city of Aden. The vessel transmitted a distress call around 10 pm on July 15 off the coast of Oman.
The Indian Embassy stated that it is in continuous contact with Omani authorities. The search and rescue (SAR) operation is being coordinated by the Oman Maritime Security Centre, with the Indian Navy actively involved in the operations in the region. The Indian Navy’s warship INS Teg, along with maritime surveillance aircraft P-8I, has been deployed alongside Omani vessels and personnel, as reported by news agency ANI.
The MT Falcon Prestige, a 117-meter-long oil products tanker built in 2007, sent out a distress call that initiated the rescue efforts.
