INDIAN COAST GUARD MOVES SWIFTLY TO PREVENT MARITIME DISASTER OFF PARADIP: FLOODING STABILISED ONBOARD CHEMICAL TANKER ‘MT SEAGULL 9’
News Mania Desk/ 28th September 2026
New Delhi, 28 Sep 2026: In a rapid and decisive maritime operation, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully averted a major incident at sea, rescuing a distressed foreign chemical tanker, MT Seagull 9, approximately 37 nautical miles East-South-East of Paradip, Odisha.
The Belize-flagged vessel, carrying 9,000 Metric Tonnes of palm oil with 23 crew members onboard, issued an urgent distress call at about 0730 hrs on 27 Sep 2026 following main engine failure and rapid ballast tank flooding, which caused the ship to tilt dangerously.
Responding swiftly, ICGS Vishwast was immediately dispatched to the scene. Demonstrating high operational readiness, a specialist ICG Damage Control Team boarded the unstable vessel under challenging conditions. Deploying submersible de-flooding pumps and advanced damage-control equipment, the team swiftly arrested the leakage, blanked two damaged seawater pipelines, and contained a third fractured line.
To reinforce the operations, the Indian Coast Guard has also diverted a Pollution Control Vessel (PCV) and an additional Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) to the location for augmented pollution response and continuous, round-the-clock monitoring of the situation.
Through seamless coordination between ICGS Vishwast’s specialized team and the vessel’s crew, concurrent cargo transfer and de-flooding operations were executed, effectively stabilizing the tanker and eliminating the threat of capsizing.
Simultaneously, ICG Dornier aircraft launched from Bhubaneswar for real-time aerial surveillance. A minor palm-oil sheen initially observed near the vessel on 27 Sep was confirmed fully dissipated during follow-up aerial sorties on 28 Sep. Strict pollution-response protocols remain active to safeguard the marine ecosystem.
In a synchronized multi-agency effort, Paradip Port Authority tug Dolphin took the stabilized MT Seagull 9 under tow towards the anchorage area off Paradip. Main engine repairs are currently underway with assistance from ICGS Vishwast’s technical team.
ICGS Vishwast, alongside the deployed specialized assets, remains on scene maintaining an active sentinel watch and providing continuous operational support.
