One person is confirmed dead while six others have gone missing after a commercial oil tanker capsized off the southwestern coast of Oman on Monday, July 15.
AIS data showed the Comoros-flagged Prestige Falcon was en route to the Port of Aden in Yemen when it overturned approximately 25 nautical miles off Oman's Port of Duqm on Monday. Local authorities said only the ship's upturned keel has remained above the surface of the water.
The tanker's crew of 13 Indian and three Sri Lankan nationals were all initially reported missing. However, nine survivors and one deceased individual were found during the subsequent search and rescue (SAR) effort that also involved ships and aircraft of the Indian Navy.
The survivors include one Sri Lankan and eight Indian nationals, an Indian Navy spokesperson told reporters on Wednesday, July 17. The nationality of the deceased crewmember has not been disclosed.
Indian officials said that the SAR effort will continue to attempt to locate the six missing crewmembers even as the area off Duqm is experiencing rough seas and strong winds.
Although the tanker capsized as it was en route to Yemen, there is no evidence to suggest that the incident was the result of an attack by the country's Houthi rebels.
