An oil tanker capsized off the coast of Oman on Monday, with 16 crew members on board, identified as 13 Indian nationals and 3 Sri Lankan nationals, currently missing, reported the Maritime Security Centre (MSC) of Oman.
Incident Overview
The MSC confirmed in a post on X that a Comoros-flagged oil tanker capsized 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah, close to the port town of Duqm. Search and rescue operations efforts for the missing crew of “Prestige Falcon” are currently underway.
The tanker was on its way to the port of Aden in Yemen when it capsized off Oman’s industrial port of Duqm, according to shipping data by LSEG.
The 117-metre-long tanker was built in 2007. Small tankers like these are typically used for short coastal trips.
Duqm Port is situated on Oman’s southwestern coast, near the sultanate’s key oil and gas extraction projects, and includes Oman’s biggest single economic project, a major oil refinery that forms part of Duqm’s vast industrial zone.
India’s Navy and Omani Authorities Coordinate in Crisis
The foreign ministry was co-ordinating the operation with Oman’s maritime authorities, an Indian official told the BBC. India’s navy has joined efforts in search and rescue operations, reported the official. He also added that the vessel had transmitted a distress call around 22:00 hrs on Sunday, July 14, off the coast of Oman. The Indian embassy in Oman remains in constant contact with the Omani authorities.
The MSC informed Reuters news agency that the vessel remains “submerged, inverted,” but gave no confirmation on whether it had stabilised or whether oil or oil products had leaked into the sea.
The Indian Navy’s warship INS Teg, along with the maritime surveillance aircraft P-8I, has been deployed alongside Omani vessels and personnel for search and rescue operations.
Indians make up the majority of the global maritime workforce and are frequently victims of accidents or piracy.
