Indian Coast Guard launches rescue operation for stranded cargo ship off Andhra coast

The Indian Coast Guard launched a rescue operation on Thursday for six crew members aboard a Singapore-bound cargo ship stranded near the Ravva oilfield off the Kakinada coast in Andhra Pradesh following a suspected engine failure.

The bulk carrier, Sigma Pearl, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, reportedly suffered engine failure while navigating through the Ravva oilfield in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) Basin. The malfunction is suspected to have been caused by severe cyclonic storm Arnab, which recently struck the Andhra Pradesh coast.

The Coast Guard deployed a helicopter and a vessel to assist the stranded crew. Rescue personnel were using a helipad at Mogalthur village in West Godavari district to coordinate operations.

The Indian Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Sujay was also dispatched towards the stranded cargo ship.

According to available information, the vessel was returning to Singapore after unloading cargo at Visakhapatnam port. It departed the port at approximately 12:17 a.m. on October 27, as Cyclone Arnab approached the Andhra Pradesh coast ahead of its landfall near Yanam in the early hours of October 28.

Vessel-tracking platform MarineTraffic had listed the ship’s status as “Vessel is out of range” two days earlier. Its last recorded movement indicated that it was travelling along its intended route.

Meanwhile, authorities in West Godavari district were extending assistance to the Indian Coast Guard to facilitate the rescue operation.

The incident comes a day after very severe cyclonic storm Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast in the early hours of October 28, bringing maximum sustained winds of 125–135 kmph, gusting up to 150 kmph.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the landfall process continued for nearly six hours and was completed around 8 a.m. The system subsequently weakened into a severe cyclonic storm after crossing the coast.

The cyclone claimed four lives and caused widespread damage across coastal districts, uprooting thousands of trees and electricity poles and damaging agricultural crops.

(IANS Inputs)

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