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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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
