Pakistan’s naval forces reportedly helped a stranded Indian ship in the Arabian Sea, responding to an SOS call after a critical technical failure. The navy provided food, medical aid, and other emergency support to the crew.
According to a Pakistani military statement received by Reuters, the Indian ship, MV Gautam, suffered a critical technical failure on the way to India from Oman. The Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre in Mumbai contacted authorities in Islamabad and requested assistance, after which the Pakistan navy launched a rescue and support operation. The navy deployed the vessel PMSS Kashmir to carry out the rescue operation.
The statement said emergency assistance, including food, medical aid, and technical support, were provided to the crew members. The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) reportedly assisted with the operation.
The Gulf Times shared a video on X, showing the Pakistan vessel helping MV Gautam’s crew.
Pakistan had previously reported rescuing and evacuating 18 crew members of a merchant ship in the northern Arabian Sea after an emergency call last month.
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Regional Headquarters in Gandhinagar was reportedly notified about the situation at 11:22 pm on May 4.
A generator malfunction triggered a power failure on May 3 during which, MV Gautam was located within the Pakistan Search and Rescue Region (SRR).
Sources told NDTV, “The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Mumbai, relayed the information to Pakistan authorities. Subsequently, the vessel began drifting in an east-northeasterly direction at an average speed of approximately 1.5 knots. By 8:45 pm May 4, the vessel had drifted to a position approximately 262 nautical miles from Dwarka Lighthouse, within the Indian SRR.”
ICG Ship Rajratan was assigned to investigate the situation and established communication with the vessel upon reaching its vicinity. However, MV Gautam had limited communication capability, with only VHF (Very High Frequency) radios and AIS (Automatic Identification System) running on battery backup.
According to sources, “It was further ascertained that technical personnel from the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) had boarded the vessel. Following assessment, the main generator was declared beyond repair.”
The ICG requested the Directorate General of Shipping in Mumbai to guide MV Gautam’s owner to arrange a suitable tug for towing, as the stationary and unlit vessel could pose as a navigational risk to nearby maritime traffic.
