India announces the rescue of 9 crew members of an oil tanker that capsized off the coast of the Sultanate of Oman

The Indian Navy announced on Wednesday the rescue of 9 crew members of the oil tanker (MT Prestige Falcon) in the Arabian Sea, most of whom are Indians, and the search is ongoing for 7 others.

The Indian Navy said in a statement that 8 Indians and another crew member were rescued, noting that Indian and Omani teams are continuing to search for others.

The statement indicated that the crew of the oil tanker included 13 Indians and 3 Sri Lankans.

The 117-metre (383-foot) long Comoros-flagged Prestige Falcon was carrying a cargo of petroleum products from the port of Hamriyah in the United Arab Emirates to the Yemeni port of Aden, according to ship tracking website MarineTraffic.com.

The MT Prestige Falcon tanker capsized in the Arabian Sea late Monday about 25 nautical miles (29 miles) southeast of Ras Madrakah in Oman, according to the Oman Maritime Security Center.

The cause of the capsizing and the condition of the tanker and its cargo were not immediately known, but the Indian Navy, which has sent a warship to help in the search, said rescue teams were dealing with rough seas and strong winds.