Pakistan Navy rescues 20 sailors from sinking cargo ship

By Staff Reporter

KARACHI: All 20 crew members aboard a cargo dhow taking on water east of Ormara were pulled to safety this week in a joint operation by the Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency, according to the military’s media office.

The rescue began after a distress call reached the Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre, which tracks vessels and emergencies across Pakistani waters. The dhow was listing badly at the time, according to a statement issued Thursday by the Inter-Services Public Relations office, the military’s public affairs arm, which described the flooding aboard the vessel as severe.

Naval commanders diverted the frigate PNS Hunain toward the stricken ship, along with aircraft assigned to the search, the ISPR statement said. It did not specify how long the rescue took or what ultimately became of the dhow itself.

All 20 crew members, Pakistani nationals, were brought aboard safely, the Navy said, crediting what it called the professionalism of the rescue teams. Those pulled from the water were given medical attention, though the ISPR did not describe the extent of any injuries or say whether anyone required hospitalization.

“The successful operation underscores Pakistan Navy’s and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety of life at sea and its readiness to respond to maritime emergencies around the clock,” the statement said.

The rescue was the latest in a string of maritime emergency responses this year for the two agencies, which jointly patrol Pakistan’s coastline and the surrounding stretch of the Arabian Sea. In April, Navy vessels recovered 18 crew members from a merchant ship in the North Arabian Sea after a similar distress call. The crew in that case included nationals of China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Indonesia, and the rescue was coordinated through the Maritime Security Agency’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.

The following month, in May, security officials said the Navy and the Maritime Security Agency assisted more than half a dozen sailors stranded aboard an Indian offshore tug and supply vessel in the Arabian Sea.