Indian Navy aircraft in Philippines to search for missing Indians

Cargo Ship MV Emerald Star sank in the Pacific off Japan on October 13

This photo provided by the 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters shows a damaged lifeboat, which is believed to be of the Emerald Star near its sinking site, off the Philippines' eastern coast on Oct. 13, 2017.

The Indian Navy has dispatched a P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft to Manila to undertake a Search and Rescue (SAR) for missing sailors of a merchant vessel that sank off the coast of Philippines.

 

“One P-8I took off at 23:45hrs on October 15 for Manila to search for missing sailors of MV Emerald Star which sank North East of Philippines. The aircraft will land by 09:00 local time (0100 UTC) and will start Search and Rescue straightaway,” a Navy officer said on Monday.

 

The aircraft is carrying two SAR kits that contain a 10-men inflatable dinghy, emergency food and water supply onboard which can be dropped near the survivors.

 

India has been positioning itself as the primary responder to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions in the region.