Coast Guard launches rescue mission for stranded cargo ship off Andhra coast

Visakhapatnam:  The Indian Coast Guard launched an operation on Thursday to rescue the crew of a Singapore-bound bulk carrier stranded near the Ravva oilfield off the Kakinada coast in Andhra Pradesh.

The bulk carrier, ‘Sigma Pearl’, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was stranded while navigating through the Ravva oilfield in KG Basin due to engine failure.

The cargo ship was suspected to have suffered engine failure under the impact of severe cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’ in the Bay of Bengal.

The Indian Coast Guard deployed a helicopter and a vessel as part of its operation to rescue members of the crew. The Coast Guard personnel were using the helipad at Mogalthur village in West Godavari district for the rescue efforts.

Indian Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Sujay’ was also sent towards the stranded ship.

The ship, with six crew members, suffered engine failure while returning to Singapore after unloading at Visakhapatnam port.

The vessel departed from Visakhapatnam port around 12.17 a.m. on October 27, around the time Cyclone Arnab was approaching Yanam before making landfall in the early hours of October 28.

The MarineTraffic portal, which tracks vessel movements, showed the status of the ship as “Vessel is out of range” two days ago. Its last recorded movement was along its intended route.

Meanwhile, local authorities in West Godavari district were extending all help to the Indian Coast Guard for the rescue operation.

Very severe cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’ crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast in the early hours of October 28 with maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kmph, gusting up to 150

kmph.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the process continued for six hours till 8 a.m. After crossing the coast, it weakened into a severe cyclonic storm.

The cyclone claimed four lives, leaving a trail of destruction in coastal districts, uprooting thousands of trees, electricity poles and causing extensive damage to crops.