Eleven crew members have been rescued earlier today off Mumbai, India after a merchant vessel MV Priyanka, carrying 1900 metric tones of iron pellets onboard grounded, the Indian Coast Guard informed.
The vessel is said to had drifted to shallow waters having broken anchor about 20 nautical miles south of Mumbai and started listing due to severe weather.
The crew sent out a distress signal and the Coast Guard dispatched a Chetak helicopter to locate the vessel which had a total of sixteen crew members onboard.
Once detected the Coast Guard unit managed to airlift elven crew members. The remaining five abandoned vessel and came ashore using life rafts.
The vessel left Mumbai on Sunday. [mappress]
World Maritime News; July 14th, 2014