Indian Coast Guard Rescues Belize-Flagged Vessel Off Odisha Coast

The Indian Coast Guard rescued a distressed Belize-flagged vessel carrying 23 crew members off the coast of Odisha near Paradi, India.

MT Seagull 9, carrying 9,000 metric tonnes of palm oil, issued an urgent distress call around 7:30am Sunday after suffering main engine failure and rapid ballast tank flooding, causing the ship to tilt dangerously. The incident occurred roughly 37 nautical miles east-south-east of Paradip.

The Coast Guard dispatched its ship Vishwast to the scene. A specialist damage control team boarded the vessel, deploying submersible pumps and equipment to stop the leakage, blanking two damaged seawater pipelines and containing a third fractured line. A pollution control vessel and an additional offshore patrol vessel were diverted to support pollution response and monitoring.

Coordinated cargo transfer and deflooding operations stabilised the tanker and eliminated the risk of capsizing. An Indian Coast Guard Dornier aircraft conducted aerial surveillance from Bhubaneswar. A minor palm-oil sheen spotted near the vessel on Sunday was confirmed fully dissipated by Monday.

Paradip Port Authority tug Dolphin has since towed the stabilised MT Seagull 9 toward the anchorage area off Paradip, where main engine repairs are underway.