Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Coast Guard Rescues 23 Crew From Listing Tanker Off Odisha
A tanker carrying 23 people got into trouble off Odisha.
Its main engine stopped working, and water quickly entered its ballast tanks.
This made the ship tilt dangerously.
The Indian Coast Guard sent ICGS Vishwast and a special repair team.
The team pumped out water and blocked damaged pipes.
The crew and rescuers also moved some palm oil to make the ship safer.
An aircraft and other vessels watched for pollution.
A small oil sheen disappeared by the next day.
The tanker was then towed toward Paradip while its engine was repaired.
The Indian Coast Guard stabilized Belize-flagged MT Seagull 9 carrying 23 crew members off Odisha.
The tanker sent a distress call on 27 September after engine failure and rapid ballast-tank flooding.
A specialist team stopped leaks, sealed two damaged seawater pipelines and contained a third fractured line.
Cargo transfer and de-flooding were conducted together, removing the tanker’s immediate capsizing risk.
The vessel was towed toward Paradip anchorage after a palm-oil sheen dissipated and engine repairs began.
- Who
- The Indian Coast Guard, the 23 crew members of MT Seagull 9, the Paradip Port Authority and assisting vessels.
- What
- A Belize-flagged tanker suffered engine failure and flooding, then was stabilized and towed.
- When
- The distress call came at about 7:30 am on 27 September; aerial checks confirmed the sheen had dissipated on 28 September.
- Where
- About 37 nautical miles east-south-east of Paradip, off the Odisha coast.
- Why
- The main engine failed and ballast tanks flooded rapidly, causing a dangerous tilt and risk of capsizing and pollution.
- Vessel
- MT Seagull 9, a Belize-flagged tanker
- Crew
- 23 people
- Cargo
- 9,000 metric tonnes of palm oil
- Incident location
- 37 nautical miles east-south-east of Paradip, off Odisha
- Main failures
- Main-engine failure and rapid ballast-tank flooding
- Response
- ICGS Vishwast, a Pollution Control Vessel, an Offshore Patrol Vessel and an Indian Coast Guard Dornier aircraft
- Outcome
- The tanker was stabilized, towed toward Paradip anchorage and placed under engine repair
