Nine crew members of tugboat that was sinking in the Bay of Bengal, were saved by the Indian Coast Guard, on June 23.
According to information, one crew member was injured in the leg, but overall the crew were safely transferred to shore. However, efforts to save their vessel were unsuccessful.
The tugboat, Ganga 1 had left from Port Blair, and was due to reach the port on Little Andaman Island on the morning of June 23.
About 30 miles south of Port Blair, the crew on the tug reported heavy flooding in the engine room. The seafarerers immediately activated an emergency distress call, but because ofthe uncontrolled flooding, the nine crew aboard the tug decided to abandon their vessel.
Then, the Indian Coast Guard began a search and rescue mission, deploying two coast guard ships. Moreover, an additional coast guard ship was also dispatched from Port Blair along with the tug Ocean Marvel transporting a damage control team and de-flooding equipment.
Upon arrival on the scene, the Indian Coast Guard vessels tried to save the sinking vessel, but the tug was listing heavily to port.
Furthermore, the damage control team reported difficulties in positioning pumping equipment on the vessel due to the high rate of flooding and heavy rolling. Considering the circumstances, it was determined that it was not safe for the damage control team to remain onboard the sinking vessel.
After that, he PMB tug Ocean Marvel started towing to bring the sinking vessel to Port Blair with the Coast Guard ships as an escort. However, the ship eventually sank off Cinque Island.
As for the crew of the tugboat, they were transported back to Port Blair.
