Mumbai, Feb 5 (IANS): A stranded fishing vessel, 'Mariyam', with 11 fisherfolk on board that was rescued on Sunday by the Indian Coast Guard off Maharashtra, is now safe and proceeding to Kochi, an official said here on Monday.

The ICG swung into action after receiving a distress call from the Tamil Nadu registered vessel, stranded in the high seas, sometime on Sunday afternoon.

Later in the evening, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also tweeted a request to help out the vessel, registered in Tuticorin.

"The fishing boat had run out of fuel and the ICG diverted one of its ships in the vicinity to render all required assistance to it, around 170 km off Ratnagiri coast," an ICG spokesperson told IANS.

"By the time, the ICG ship reached, another fishing vessel had helped 'Mariyam' with fuel and it has now started its voyage to Kerala," he added.

The ICG ship would accompany it for sometime and the fishing vessel was expected to reach Kochi after a couple of days.

'Mariyam' had set sail from Tamil Nadu on January 7, but after running out of fuel near Ratnagiri, it was drifting around in the area since late Friday.