The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) rescued 11 crew members from the distressed Mumbai-registered general cargo vessel, MV ITT Puma, which reportedly sank about 90 nautical miles south of Sagar Island (West Bengal) in a challenging night-time Search and Rescue operation on Monday.
The Ministry of Defence informed that the cargo vessel was en route from Kolkata to Port Blair when it sank.
The Maritime Search & Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Chennai initially received a distress signal late in the evening on 25th August 2024. The ICG’s Regional Headquarters (North East) in Kolkata promptly mobilised two Indian Coast Guard vessels and a Dornier aircraft to the site.
Equipped with advanced night-capable sensors, the Dornier aircraft detected adrift life rafts and sighted survival red flares from the distressed crew.
Guided by the aircraft, the Indian Coast Guard ship reached the coordinates where two life rafts were found tied together, housing the survivors. Despite challenging weather conditions, the ICG ships Sarang and Amogh, alongside the Dornier aircraft, executed a coordinated sea-air rescue, ensuring the safety of the crew during the late hours of 25 August and the early hours of 26 August.
@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
