Home / Disasters and Accidents / Coast Guard Rescues Stranded Tanker Off Odisha Coast
Coast Guard Rescues Stranded Tanker Off Odisha Coast
28 Sep
Summary
- Indian Coast Guard rescued a distressed foreign tanker near Paradip.
- The tanker suffered engine failure and flooding with 23 crew members aboard.
- Pollution response measures were implemented to safeguard marine life.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully rescued a distressed foreign tanker, MT Seagull 9, which experienced critical engine failure and flooding approximately 37 nautical miles off Paradip, Odisha. The Belize-flagged vessel was carrying 9,000 metric tonnes of palm oil and had 23 crew members on board.
Responding swiftly to a distress call on the morning of September 27, the ICG dispatched the ICGS Vishwast. A specialized team boarded the unstable tanker, deploying de-flooding pumps and equipment to manage the emergency. They successfully arrested leakage and contained fractured pipelines, preventing a potential capsizing.
Further bolstering the response, a Pollution Control Vessel and an Offshore Patrol Vessel were diverted to the scene for pollution management and continuous monitoring. Coordinated efforts between the ICG team and the vessel's crew enabled simultaneous cargo transfer and de-flooding, stabilizing the tanker.
An aerial surveillance conducted by an ICG Dornier aircraft confirmed that a minor palm oil sheen detected earlier had completely dissipated by September 28. The ICG maintained strict pollution-response measures to protect the marine ecosystem. The stabilized tanker was subsequently towed to Paradip anchorage by a port authority tug, with repair work on its main engine currently in progress.
