The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Sunday successfully averted a major maritime incident by rescuing a distressed foreign tanker, MT Seagull 9, approximately 37 nautical miles east-south-east of Paradip, Odisha.
Meanwhile, ICG Dornier aircraft were launched from Bhubaneswar for real-time aerial surveillance. Responding swiftly to the distress call, the ICG dispatched ICGS Vishwast to the location. A specialist ICG Damage Control Team boarded the unstable vessel under challenging conditions and initiated emergency damage-control operations. Using submersible de-flooding pumps and specialised equipment, the team arrested the leakage, blanked two damaged seawater pipelines and contained a third fractured line. The Coast Guard also diverted a Pollution Control Vessel (PCV) and an additional Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) to the location to strengthen pollution-response measures and maintain round-the-clock monitoring of the situation. Through coordinated efforts between the specialised ICG team and the vessel’s crew, cargo transfer and de-flooding operations were carried out simultaneously. The measures stabilised the tanker and eliminated the immediate threat of capsizing. Pollution-response protocols continue to remain in force to safeguard the marine ecosystem. Repairs to the vessel’s main engine are currently underway with assistance from the technical team of ICGS Vishwast. ICGS Vishwast, along with the specialised assets deployed at the site, continues to remain on scene, maintaining an active watch and providing continuous operational support.
The Belize-flagged vessel, carrying 9,000 metric tonnes of palm oil and 23 crew members, issued an urgent distress call at around 7:30 am on September 27 after its main engine failed and a ballast tank began flooding rapidly, causing the vessel to tilt dangerously. A minor palm-oil sheen observed near the vessel on September 27 was confirmed to have fully dissipated during follow-up aerial sorties on September 28. As part of the coordinated multi-agency response, Paradip Port Authority tug Dolphin took the stabilised MT Seagull 9 under tow towards the anchorage area off Paradip.
