Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Dec 24: An oil tanker carrying crude oil to New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) fell victim to a drone attack at a location 217 nautical miles off the southwest coast of Veraval in Gujarat. The vessel, named M V Chem Fluto and owned by Israel, was promptly assisted by a coast guard ship, preventing casualties among its 20 Indian and one Vietnamese crew members. Although a fire ignited within the ship due to the attack, it was swiftly extinguished.

The attack occurred as the vessel was en route from Saudi Arabia to NMPT, where it was scheduled to unload crude oil and load Benzene. Currently, the vessel is being escorted to Mumbai by a coast guard vessel. Departing from the UAE on December 19, it was originally expected to reach NMPT on December 25.

The Union government confirmed that no casualties resulted from the attack, yet the vessel's functionality has been impacted. It's important to note that the attack did not occur within India's territorial waters.

ICGS Vikram, a coast guard vessel, was mobilized to assist the attacked vessel. Praveen Kumar, Coast Guard Commandant in Mangaluru, stated that while the Gujarat coast guard is leading the rescue mission, Mangaluru coast guard remains ready to assist pending any further instructions, although none have been received as of now.