A drone attack near the coast of Gujarat caused a fire aboard the Liberian-flagged oil tanker MV Chem Pluto.
According to news agency ANI, which cited defense authorities, there were twenty Indians on the ship that was struck by a drone off the coast of Gujarat. The incident occurred a few days after a sailor was rescued by the Indian Navy from a cargo ship flying the Malta flag that six “pirates” had taken over.
These are the details of the occurrence that we now know:
Officials said that every crew member, including about 20 Indians, is safe.
Crude oil was loaded onto the Liberian-flagged merchant ship MV Chem Pluto, which sailed from a Saudi Arabian port.
It was hit by a drone 217 nautical miles off the coast of Porbandar in the Arabian Sea while it was traveling towards Mangalore.
Officials stated that there was a fire on board due to the attack. An Indian Coast Guard ship, ICGS Vikram, was dispatched to the vessel as soon as it sent out a distress call, the statement added. Although the fire was put out, the vessel’s ability to operate was compromised.
While ICGS Vikram was patrolling the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone, it became aware of a merchant ship that was in distress and warned other nearby ships to aid the damaged vessel.
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The distressed vessel and the Indian Coast Guard’s Dornier maritime surveillance plane are now in communication. Following the incident, the ship turned off its Automatic Identification System, which allowed it to be tracked.
According to Coast Guard officials, “the ship’s power generation system is now functional and more checks are being carried out before it sets out for its destination,” as reported by news agency ANI.
According to Coast Guard officials, the ship has commenced its journey at a pace of approximately 11 nautical miles per hour. ICGS Vikram is expected to join it at approximately 10 p.m. They further stated that it should arrive in Mumbai by early December 25.
News agency AFP was informed by the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) that “authorities were investigating” the incident.
Days prior, on Monday, the Indian Navy assisted in the rescue of a wounded sailor from a cargo ship flying the flag of Malta. Six “pirates” reportedly gained unauthorized access to the MV Ruen in the Arabian Sea.