Tugboat With 14 On Board Drifts Into Arabian Sea Due to Engine Failure Amid Bad Weather in Raigad

Mumbai: A tugboat belonging to JSW Group with 14 crew members on board drifted in the Arabian Sea off the Alibaug coast in Maharashtra's Raigad district after its engine stopped functioning on Thursday, a police official said. 

All the 14 crew members on the tugboat are safe, he said. JSW Group, in a statement, confirmed the incident and said the rescue operations are on.

The boat was on its way from the company’s Dolvi plant near Wadkhal to its Salav unit near Revdanda when its engine failed near the Kolaba Fort in the afternoon, according to the police.

Personnel from the Raigad police, coastal police, Coast Guard and revenue department are working in close coordination to avoid any untoward incident, the official said.

“A small carrier vessel operated by JSW got caught in the stormy weather today (Thursday) between Jaigarh and Salav as it drifted due to strong winds and low visibility,” JSW Group said in the statement.

There are no casualties, and “all (crew) members safe on board (the carrier),” it said.

It also said that the mini-bulk carrier is “safe and stable” adding that evacuation is “expected to commence by tonight”.

There will be a low tide in the sea near the Kolaba fort around 11 pm after which the crew can be rescued, the police official added.

(with PTI inputs)