The Indian Coast Guard rescued nine sailors from a sinking vessel off Jakhau coast in Gujarat in an operation on Sunday.
However, the dhow m.v. Al Wafa sank late in the evening about 30 nautical miles into the sea.
The Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Mumbai, received a distress call at noon. Excessive flooding was reported in Wafa’s engine room due to strong winds and rough sea conditions. The Coast Guard deployed its interceptor boat C-408 for assistance.
Choppy watersBraving high wind speeds and choppy waters, it approached the dhow and rescued nine crew members in co-ordination with another m.v. Sikran Pir which was used for towing, an official press release said. “However, due to excessive flooding in the engine room and adverse sea conditions, the dhow sank, at 8 p.m. about 30 NM from Jakhau, even before damage control could commence. The evacuated crew were brought back to Jakhau and handed over to Customs or local authorities,” the release said.
A few days ago, the ICG had rescued 21 sailors on three barges, which sank off Jakhau coast in bad weather.
