Mumbai (PTI): Prompt action by the Coast Guard saved a merchant ship loaded with containers from sinking about 240 km off the coast of Mumbai, officials said on Sunday.

The vessel, MV MSC Denisse, had set sail from the Nhava Sheva port near the city on May 15 loaded with containers and its crew of 29 Indians, and was headed to the Mudra in Gujarat port when it discovered it was taking in water, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard said.

The crew tried to stem the entry of water, but was unable to and alerted the manager of the vessel and agents who are based in Hong Kong.

The ship's agents then reported the matter to the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) of the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Ship Vijaya, which was on surveillance patrol in the area, was diverted there, the spokesperson said.

Another Coast Guard ship CGS Subhadra Kumari Chauhan was dispatched from the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai with a team of divers to assist in the repair of the vessel and the MRCC also alerted other merchant vessels in the area to provide assistance, the spokesperson said.

When CGS Vijaya reached the location of the MSC Denisse in the early hours of May 16, the merchant vessel had taken in too much water and the crew had begun preparations to abandon ship, Coast Guard officials said.