By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Navy on Friday evacuated 18 crew members, including foreign nationals from China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia, from a merchant ship that issued a distress call while sailing in the North Arabian Sea roughly 200 nautical miles off Pakistan’s coast.
In a coordinated humanitarian operation, a Pakistani naval ship already on patrol in the area responded swiftly after the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency activated its Maritime Rescue Coordination Center upon receiving the emergency alert from the vessel, MV Gold Autumn. The crew was safely brought to Karachi for medical treatment and eventual repatriation to their home countries, the navy said in a statement.
The Pakistan Navy described the mission as a demonstration of its readiness to act as the first responder in maritime emergencies within its area of responsibility. The frigate PNS Hunain, which was operating in the assigned patrol zone, was diverted to the scene and conducted the search-and-rescue effort. Specialists aboard provided medical assistance to the crew, supported firefighting efforts, carried out a damage assessment of the vessel and then transferred the 18 sailors to safety, the statement said. “Pakistan Navy Ship’s team, comprising specialists, provided medical assistance, supported in firefighting, conducted damage assessment of the vessel, and later rescued crew members.”
The operation, it added, reflected “the Pakistan Navy’s continued resolve and commitment to always be the first responder in maritime crisis situations in its respective area of responsibility.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the navy for its handling of the incident, according to a separate statement issued by his office. Sharif commended the officers and sailors involved for their “professionalism, swift response, and humanitarian spirit,” the statement said. “The prime minister appreciated that upon receiving a distress call from the merchant vessel ‘Gold Autumn,’ the naval ship PNS Hunain promptly conducted an effective search and rescue operation,” it added. “Crew members belonging to different countries, including China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Indonesia, were safely evacuated.”
The episode comes as Pakistan has sought to highlight its naval capabilities in securing busy shipping lanes in the Arabian Sea, a vital corridor for international trade that has seen heightened tensions in recent years because of regional conflicts and piracy concerns farther afield. No further details about the nature of the distress aboard the Gold Autumn were released, and the navy did not say whether the vessel remained adrift or what arrangements had been made for its continued operation.
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