Coast Guard rescues 23 after oil tanker tilts off Odisha coast

The Indian Coast Guard rescued a Belize-flagged vessel, MT Seagull 9, with 23 crew members off Paradip, Odisha.

The vessel, carrying 9,000 metric tonnes of palm oil, experienced engine failure and severe flooding, causing it to tilt dangerously.

ICG ship 'Vishwast' deployed a specialist damage control team to arrest leakage and stabilise the tanker.

Multi-agency coordination, including aerial surveillance and pollution control measures, ensured the successful operation.

The swift response prevented a major maritime incident and potential environmental pollution in the region.

The Indian Coast Guard rescued a distressed Belize-flagged vessel with 23 crew members onboard, off the coast of Odisha's Paradip, averting a major incident at sea, officials said on Monday.

Vessel Distress And Initial Response

MT Seagull 9, carrying 9,000 metric tonnes of palm oil, issued an urgent distress call at about 7:30 am on Sunday, following main engine failure and rapid ballast tank flooding, which caused the ship to tilt dangerously, a senior official of the ICG said.

Responding swiftly, ICG ship 'Vishwast' was dispatched to the scene, the force said.

The incident took place 37 nautical miles east-south-east of Paradip, the ICG said. Demonstrating high operational readiness, a specialist ICG damage control team boarded the unstable vessel under challenging conditions.

Deploying submersible de-flooding pumps and advanced damage-control equipment, the team swiftly arrested the leakage, blanked two damaged seawater pipelines, and contained a third fractured line, the official said.

Advanced Operations And Environmental Safeguards

"To reinforce the operations, the Indian Coast Guard also diverted a Pollution Control Vessel (PCV) and an additional Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) to the location for augmented pollution response and continuous, round-the-clock monitoring of the situation," he said.

Through seamless coordination between ICGS Vishwast's specialised team and the vessel's crew, concurrent cargo transfer and de-flooding operations were executed, effectively stabilising the tanker and eliminating the threat of capsizing, the official added.

Simultaneously, an ICG Dornier aircraft was launched from Bhubaneswar for real-time aerial surveillance, he said. A minor palm-oil sheen initially observed near the vessel on Sunday was confirmed fully dissipated during follow-up aerial sorties on Monday, the ICG added.

Strict pollution-response protocols remain active to safeguard the marine ecosystem.

Multi-Agency Effort And Successful Resolution

In a synchronised multi-agency effort, Paradip Port Authority tug Dolphin took the stabilised MT Seagull 9 under tow towards the anchorage area off Paradip, the officials said.

Main engine repairs are currently underway with assistance from ICGS Vishwast's technical team.

ICGS Vishwast, alongside the deployed specialised assets, remains on scene maintaining an active sentinel watch and providing continuous operational support, he said.

"In a rapid and decisive maritime operation, the ICG has successfully averted a major incident at sea, rescuing a distressed foreign chemical tanker," the official said.