Nine crew from capsized oil tanker off Oman rescued, one dead

NEW DELHI, India - At least nine of the 16-member crew of a Comoros-flagged oil tanker that capsized off Oman on Monday have been rescued while one was found dead, officials said on Wednesday, two days after the incident was first reported.

The "Prestige Falcon", a 117-meter oil product tanker, was heading to the Yemeni port of Aden with a crew of 13 Indians and three Sri Lankans when it capsized off Oman's major industrial port of Duqm. The cause was not immediately known.

"Search and rescue operations have successfully found 10 crew members of the oil tanker Prestige Falcon, 9 found alive. Tragically, one crew member was found deceased," Oman's Maritime Security Center said on X.

The search for the remaining crew members is ongoing, the security center said. It gave no further details.

Those rescued so far include eight Indians and one Sri Lankan, said a spokesperson for the Indian navy, which is helping with search and rescue operations.

"The search and rescue by Indian and Omani assets is being undertaken in challenging weather conditions as the area is experiencing rough sea and strong winds," the Indian navy spokesperson said.

Indian government officials also said the search for the remaining crew members would continue in the area.

Duqm port, located on Oman's southwest coast, lies close to its major oil and gas mining projects. — Reuters