PTI

Mangalore/Kochi, Nov 9: Operations were on to trace a Lakshadweep-bound cargo vessel which was reported missing with a seven-member crew three days ago, Coast Guard said on Thursday.

A Coast Guard aircraft from Kochi made a sortie on Thursday morning to locate the vessel, Coast Guard sources said.

Meanwhile, Coast Guard ship 'Kasturba Gandhi', which has been pressed into service on November 5, was continuing its search operations, added the sources.

''So far, we have not traced the missing vessel,'' a Coast Guard official said.

All the neighbouring islands have been contacted to check whether the vessel had reached there. Coast Guard officials has already issued notices to all merchant vessels passing through the route to alert them if they happened to spot the missing vessel.

The ship, MSV Lakshadweep, belonging to Lakshadweep Cooperative Marketing Federation, had left Mangalore port for Kalpeni island in Lakshadweep on November 3.

The vessel has 1.7 tonnes of cargo, including around 2,000 sand bags, steel, rice and provisions.

The ship was scheduled to reach Kalpeni at around 10:00 am on November 5. As there was no sign of the vessel, the Kavaratti Port Officer sought Coast Guard's help to trace it.

They suspect that the ship's engine must have failed and the vessel might be drifting.