12 Indians rescued from sinking ship by French navy in Persian Gulf
New Delhi, Nov 21: Twelve Indians were rescued from a sinking vessel in the Persian Gulf by a French Navy ship on Tuesday, the French embassy said in a statement here.
Those recused were crew members of the Durban Queen bearing a Saint Kitts and Nevis flag. Despite some minor injuries, they are safe and in good health, it said.
The French Navy Cassard-class anti-aircraft frigate, part of Task Force (TF) 55 in the Persian Gulf, was on a patrolling mission and was preparing for replenishment at sea with the USS Kanawha when it intercepted a distress signal from Durban Queen.
The sender indicated that his ship was sinking, the statement said.
"The listing ship was soon spotted at seven nautical miles. Under the operational control of the French Joint Forces Commander in the Indian Ocean (ALINDIEN), the Cassard-class frigate dispatched its aircraft, a Panther from the 36F Flotilla, which had just landed on the helipad after finishing a maritime surveillance sortie," the statement said.
When the helicopter reached the spot, the vessel had capsized minutes ago, forcing its Indian crew to cling to the overturned hull. Moments later, it began sinking.
The chopper with two pilots, a diver and a heli hoisting operator began lifting the shipwrecked crew.
"In the first run, four sailors were transported to the nearest vessel, a merchant ship. In the second and the third runs, four people, including the injured, were brought aboard the Cassard and attended to by its medical team," the statement added.
Eight of the crew members, assisted by the Cassard, were sent to the Sea Princess, a cruise ship.
This is the Cassard's second rescue mission in less than seven days in the Indian Ocean maritime zone, the statement added.
In September, a French vessel had rescued injured Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy, whose sailing vessel 'Turiya' was dismasted in South Indian Ocean.
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Kalaburagi: Robbers spray black paint on CCTV camera inside ATM kiosk, steal Rs 18 lakh
Kalaburagi: An incident of theft of Rs 18 lakh from an ATM by spraying black paint on the CCTV camera installed inside the kiosk was reported in the city past midnight on Wednesday.
The ATM situated near Poojary Chowk in Bhavani Nagar on Ring Road was also found vandalized by the robbers.
Police sources have said that the robbers sprayed black paint on the CCTV camera before breaking open the cash box of the ATM and looting Rs 18 lakh.
The incident occurred within the jurisdiction of the Suburban Police Station. Police officers have visited the spot and held an inspection.
