ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy said on Thursday that its ship rescued a fishing vessel with 19 crew members on board, among them eight Iranians, after it was stranded due to engine failure near the southwestern city of Gwadar.
Pakistan Navy’s PNS Taimur ship rescued a fishing vessel Al Jalali on Thursday, which was stranded around 120 nautical miles south of Gwadar city, the navy’s media wing said. The rescue operation was coordinated through the Joint Maritime Information Coordination Center (JMICC), which focuses on piracy, organized crime, illegal fishing, marine pollution, and search and rescue operations.
“The rescue operation, coordinated through JMICC, ensured the safety of all 19 crew members, including 11 Pakistanis and 8 Iranians,” Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
It added that PNS TAIMUR provided food, drinking water and medical assistance before safely towing the vessel toward the shore. The statement added that the rescue operation was carried out despite adverse monsoon conditions in the North Arabian Sea.
“Operation underscores Pakistan Navy’s readiness to safeguard lives at sea and respond swiftly to maritime emergencies,” the navy concluded.
Pakistan’s navy and maritime authorities play a central role in responding to emergencies along the country’s coastline and busy shipping routes. The rescue comes a day after authorities launched a search operation following the crash of a K2 Airways cargo aircraft into the Arabian Sea.
Earlier this month, the Pakistan Navy rescued 20 crew members from a sinking cargo dhow off the country’s southwestern coast after the vessel issued a distress call in the Arabian Sea.
