World News | Pakistan Navy, PMSA Rescue 15 Crew Members of Stranded Merchant Vessel Near Karachi

Karachi, Jul 31 (PTI) Nearly all crew members of a merchant ship which sailed from Kandla, India have been rescued by the Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) after the vessel got stranded in Karachi's coastal area in the south on Friday, the military said in a statement.

The merchant vessel Suvari H — sailing from Kandla in Gujarat to Bossasso, Somalia — was stranded approximately 180 nautical miles in the sea south of Karachi with 18 crew members on board, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army said on Friday.

The ISPR said that 15 crew members had been rescued, while three were still missing with a search and rescue operation underway to locate them.

According to the ISPR statement, the Pakistan Navy in coordination with PMSA immediately tasked ships and aircraft to provide assistance to the stranded ship and save precious lives.

It said after reaching the site where the merchant vessel was stranded the Navy and PMSA aircraft dropped life rafts to assist the stranded crew and coordinated their recovery through nearby merchant vessel MT Elan Vital.

"Pakistan Navy, being (the) overall coordinator of Navarea IX, always accords priority to maritime safety and responds immediately to render assistance to shipping communities in distress at sea," the statement said.

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