Antarvedi (Andhra Pradesh): All 20 crew members of the stranded bulk carrier Sigma Pearl have been rescued safely, the Indian Coast Guard confirmed, completing within 24 hours of the distress call the evacuation it had launched on Thursday off the Andhra Pradesh coast, Hindustan Times reported. Awaaz Punjab reported the launch of this rescue on October 29, when the Coast Guard had not yet announced its completion.

Source: Hindustan Times via My Press Today

The evacuation was carried out in two phases in rough seas. Thirteen crew members were first winched by helicopter and transferred to the Coast Guard's offshore patrol vessel Sujay, while seven remained aboard the grounded ship, The Hindu BusinessLine reported as the operation was under way. The remaining seven were evacuated later on Thursday, taking the total rescued to all 20 aboard, with no fatalities reported.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine

20Crew members rescued — all aboard
13 + 7Sailors evacuated in the two phases of the operation
180 metresLength of the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier
24 hoursTime in which the Coast Guard completed the rescue after the distress call

The 180-metre, Marshall Islands-flagged vessel had sailed from Visakhapatnam port in the early hours of October 27 after unloading its cargo, bound for Singapore, when it suffered engine failure as Cyclone Arnab battered the Bay of Bengal, Marine Insight reported. Powerless in heavy seas, the ship drifted and ran aground about 1.7 km off the shore near Antarvedi in Dr B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district, close to the Ravva offshore oilfield. Arnab crossed the Andhra coast in the early hours of October 28 with winds of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph. The Coast Guard deployed Sujay and a helicopter operating from a helipad at Mogalthur village in West Godavari district for the sea-and-air rescue.

Source: Marine Insight

With the crew safe, attention now turns to the ship itself. As of October 30 the Sigma Pearl remained stranded near Antarvedi with inspections pending and no salvage or refloating plan announced, Hindustan Times reported. Authorities must still check the hull and rule out any fuel leakage from the grounded vessel before recovery work can begin; no confirmed oil or chemical spill had been reported.

Read Awaaz Punjab's earlier report on the launch of this rescue operation. Coast Guard Launches Rescue for Crew of Stranded Bulker Sigma Pearl