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KARACHI: Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) have ensured the recovery of crew members of a stranded merchant vessel during a joint assistance operation in south of Karachi.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), PMSA’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre received a report that the vessel SUVARI H that sailed from Kandla, India for Bossasso, Somalia got stranded approximately 180 Nautical Miles south of Karachi along with 18 crew members onboard.
“Pakistan Navy in coordination with Maritime Security Agency, immediately tasked ships and aircraft to provide assistance to the stranded ship and save precious lives,” it added.
Pakistan Navy and PMSA aircraft after arriving at the scene of the incident dropped life rafts to assist the stranded crew at sea and coordinated their recovery through nearby merchant vessel MT ELAN VITAL.
Up till now, the ISPR said, 15 crew members have been recovered whereas three were still missing. ”Pakistan Navy and PMSA ships are also conducting search and rescue operation for the missing crew around the reported position,” the official communiqué read.
Pakistan Navy, being overall coordinator of NAVAREA IX, always accords priority to maritime safety and responds immediately to render assistance to shipping community in distress at sea, ISPR statement further said.
The incident comes days after a vessel, MV Heng Tong 77, belonging to a Hong Kong-based shipping company, lost anchors and started drifting towards shallow waters near Karachi last week.