INDIA – INS Tabar Rescues 14 Sailors After Oil Tanker Fire in Gulf of Oman

In a swift and coordinated operation, the Indian Navy’s stealth frigate INS Tabar rescued 14 Indian crew members from an oil tanker that caught fire in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday, June 29.

The incident occurred when the Palau-flagged vessel MT Yi Cheng 6, which was sailing from Kandla, India to Shinas, Oman, reported a major fire in its engine room, resulting in a complete power failure.

Responding to the distress signal, INS Tabar, which was on a mission deployment in the region, immediately dispatched firefighting personnel and equipment to the stricken tanker. The rescue team was transported using both the ship’s boat and its helicopter.

According to a statement shared by the Indian Navy on X (formerly Twitter), “INS Tabar responded to a distress call from MT Yi Cheng 6 on June 29. The vessel, carrying 14 crew members of Indian origin, experienced a severe fire in its engine room and total power loss.”

The Navy confirmed that 13 naval personnel and five crew members from the tanker worked together to control the blaze, which has since been brought largely under control.

Part of Ongoing Naval Efforts
This rescue adds to a series of maritime interventions by the Indian Navy in recent weeks. Earlier in June, naval forces assisted the Singapore-flagged container ship MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire off the Kerala coast.

Despite challenging sea conditions, a salvage team from the Southern Naval Command in Kochi was airlifted by a Seaking helicopter to prevent the vessel — travelling from Colombo to Mumbai — from drifting towards shore after one of its containers exploded.

Photo credit: Indian Navy. All rights reserved.