Indian Coast Guard News

India has seized three U.S.-sanctioned tanker ships linked to Iran this month and stepped up surveillance in its maritime zone to curb illicit trade, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday.India aims to prevent its waters from being used for ship-to-ship transfers that obscure the origin of oil cargoes, the source added.The seizures and heightened surveillance follow an improvement in U.S.-India relations. Washington earlier this month announced it will cut import tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50%…

India’s Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) that sets the stage for long term cooperation between the two companies. They have agreed to jointly explore newbuilding opportunities in India and abroad and to share technical expertise.KSOE oversees the operations of some of the world’s largest shipyards, including Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries.CSL has built a robust reputation as a key player in India’s maritime sector.

The fire fighting operation is ongoing onboard the Singapore-registered container vessel Wan Hai 503, off the coast of India, as search and rescue operation for the four missing crew continues.A fire broke out on Wan Hai Lines (Singapore) Pte Ltd.-managed container ship Wan Hai 503 on June 9 off India’s Kerala coast, following multiple explosions that forced several crew members to jump overboard.According to the latest update from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has been notified by the Indian authorities that 18 crew were safely transferred from lifeboats to an Indian Navy ship, which is en route to New Mangalore Port.Four crew—two from Taiwan, one from Myanmar, and one from Indonesia—remain missing. Search and rescue (SAR) operations are ongoing.Of the 18 rescued crew, five are reported to have sustained injuries. The injured crew are receiving medical treatment onboard the Indian Navy ship en route to port.As at 20:30pm on June 9…

A fire onboard the Singapore-registered container ship Wan Hai 503 has erupted earlier on Monday off India’s Kerala coast, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) reported, injuring several crew members and leaving four unaccounted for as Indian Coast Guard and Navy launch search and rescue operations.The incident occurred on June 9, 2025 at about 12.30 hrs Singapore time, at the vessel managed by Wan Hai Lines (Singapore) Pte Ltd.There were 22 crew members onboard.

Authorities in the southern Indian state of Kerala are racing to contain an oil spill in the Arabian Sea after the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA3 sank over the weekend, releasing fuel and more than 100 cargo containers into the water.The vessel was en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi when it capsized approximately 38 nautical miles off the Kerala coast on Saturday. All 24 crew members were safely rescued, according to local officials. The cause of the incident has not yet been disclosed.The Kerala chief minister’s office confirmed Sunday that the entire ship is now submerged.

Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) is participating in major new construction projects for the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.Recently, steel-cutting for vessels classified by the Indian Register of Shipping include the second ‘Fleet Support Ship’ at L&T Shipbuilding, the first ‘Next Generation Missile Vessel’ at Cochin Shipyard, the second ‘Next Generation Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel’ and first Coast Guard ‘Fast Patrol Vessels’ at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, and the…

Swan Defense and Heavy Industries Limited (SDHI), a private player in commercial & defence shipbuilding, ship repairs, and heavy fabrication in India, will recommence trading of its shares at BSE/NSE under the script code – 533107/SWANDEF. The shares will be available for trading with effect from January 20, 2025.Swan Energy Limited gained management control of Swan Defense and Heavy Industries Limited in January 2024. As part of its operational revival, the company recently completed the refit of the Indian Coast Guard’s fast patrol vessel…

An injured Chinese mariner was medevaced from a bulk carrier 200 nautical miles off the coast of Mumbai, the Indian Navy said.Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Mumbai received a distress call on Tuesday night from the Panama-registered cargo vessel Zhong Shan Men requesting immediate evacuation for a critical injured mariner suffering heavy blood loss.Responding to the medical emergency, a Seaking helicopter was launched from Indian Navy Air Station INS Shikra at 5:50 a.m. on…

Maersk on Friday said there was a fire incident on one of its chartered vessels sailing from Mundra, off the western coast of India to Colombo, Sri Lanka.The fire started due to a short circuit resulting in explosions and the death of a seaman from Philippines, local media said, adding that there were 21 crew members on board.The vessel is in stable condition, the company said in an emailed statement to Reuters."At the moment, we are unable to confirm whether and to what extent is the impact of the fire," it added in the statement.The fire was reported around 2:30 p.m.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance maritime cooperation at the ICG Headquarters in New Delhi, India, on August 22.PCG Commandant, CG Admiral Artemio M Abu, and ICG Director General, DG Rakesh Pal, presided over the signing ceremony. The aim of the MoU is to strengthen the professional bond between the two organizations by sharing best practices, conducting joint exercises, and enhancing training collaborations.

Sri Lanka on Thursday readied for the possibility of an oil spill after a cargo ship laden with chemicals sank off its western coast.The Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl, carrying 1,486 containers, including 25 tonnes of nitric acid along with other chemicals and cosmetics, was anchored off the port city of Negombo when a fire erupted onboard after an explosion on May 20.Flaming containers filled with chemicals tumbled into the sea from the ship's deck as emergency crews sought to contain the blaze over the ensuing two weeks.The craft began to sink early on Wednesday…

India's army and navy deployed ships and aircraft as they searched for 26 people still missing more than three days after a powerful cyclone sank a barge off the country's west coast, killing 49 people on board.Cyclone Tauktae, the most powerful storm to barrel into the west coast in two decades, has killed at least 46 others after wreaking havoc in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala."Ships and aircraft continue to search for the remaining crew," Navy…

Sri Lanka has initiated repair work on the ruptured fuel oil tank in the engine room of a stricken fully loaded oil supertanker after plugging the leak, the country's Navy said.The supertanker is currently 52 nautical miles (96 kms) from the Sri Lankan coast, Navy spokesman Indika de Silva said. "Salvors are on board, they plugged the leak and the repair is still going...They have vacated the ruptured tank and transferred the dirty water into the ballast section," de Silva told Reuters. A fire broke out in the engine room of the Greek-owned New Diamond tanker on Sept.

The Sri Lankan navy has towed a fire-stricken supertanker further out to sea to keep it off the coast of the Indian Ocean island after the wind picked up strength and changed direction, a spokesman said on Thursday.The tanker, loaded with 2 million barrels oil, was 50 nautical miles (95 km) from the east coast and moving in a northerly direction, the navy spokesman, Indika de Silva, said. Earlier, it had been headed southwest.The stricken vessel has raised fears of an environmental disaster…

India has sent technical equipment and a team of specialists to Mauritius to help local authorities deal with an environmental crisis after an oil spill from a Japanese ship, a government official said on Sunday.The Japanese bulk carrier Wakashio struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island nation on July 25, spilling about 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil and triggering a state of “environmental emergency”.The carrier split on Saturday, and the oil spill spread over a vast area of endangered corals…

Kolkata-based defence shipyard Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) launched the Fifth Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) for the Indian Coast Guard at Raja Bagan Dockyard Unit of GRSE, Kolkata.This ship, to be commissioned as ICGS Kanaklata Barua, is the last in the series of Five FPVs built by GRSE. Upholding the best of maritime traditions, the shipwas “Launched” by Smt. Veena Ajay Kumar, wife of Dr. Ajay Kumar, IAS, Secretary Defence (Production) who was present at the occasion as the Chief Guest.This ship is 50M long, 7.5M wide and has a displacement of around 308 Tons. These FPVs are designed for a maximum speed of 34 knots with…

The Government India has established a robust maritime search and rescue framework to address and respond to various contingencies in deep sea and in coastal areas of India.According to a government release, the framework includes distress onboard fishing boats and merchant vessels, safety of life during marine incidents and SAR (Search and Rescue) response during cyclones.Director General Indian Coast Guard has been designated as the Chairman of National Maritime Search and Rescue Board (NMSARB), which constitutes members from national/coastal state administration/agencies.The sanctioned strength of Coast Guard has increased from 8149 in 2008 to 16818 upto July, 2019 which is 100% increase from manpower in 2008.

ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) and Indian Coast Guard (ISG) are co-hosting an international workshop in New Delhi, India to deepen knowledge on issues related to piracy and armed robbery.Having 20 countries as its members, ReCAAP is the first regional Government-to-Government agreement that deals with the issues of piracy and armed robbery at sea in Asia.Designating ICG as the point of focus for ReCAAP within India, the nation has played an active role in establishment and functioning of ReCAAPISC along with Japan and Singapore.This year’s Capacity Building Workshop emphasises on knowledge of the role and functions of ReCAAP Focal Points in combating piracy and armed robbery against ships…

The salvage operations of the container vessel MV SSL Kolkata that had caught fire last month, is continuing in rough weather conditions with 2- 4 metre swells. The vessel is grounded at about 8 nautical miles off the ecologically sensitive Sundarbans since the 13th of last month when its cargo area had caught fire following an explosion. All 22 crew members were   rescued by the Indian Coast Guard. The Directorate General of Shipping and its allied office, Mercantile Marine Department, Kolkata, Govt. of West Bengal, the Indian Coast Guard and various authorities have been constantly monitoring the developments as the salvage efforts continue.

Responders are facing challenging monsoon season conditions as they work to salvage a containership that caught fire and grounded in the in the Bay of Bengal last month.The stricken containership SSL Kolkata remains aground in soft mud some 7.5 nautical miles off the Indian Sunderbans, Kolkata, West Bengal, after an explosion in one of the containers lit a fire on board the vessel on June 13.An oil spill response team from OSRL has arrived on scene and is the process of managing the counter pollution operations as responders battle challenging weather conditions…

The Indian Coast Guard said it has rescued all 22 crew members from a containership that caught fire around midnight in the Bay of Bengal.Coast Guard vessels arrived on scene Thursday morning and rescued all crew and the captain from Indian flagged SSL Kolkata, Coast Guard Commander Inspector General (NE) Kuldip Singh Sheoran said.SSL Kolkata was sailing from Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to Kolkata when the fire broke out due to an explosion in one of the containers, local media reported.Sheoran said the ship is carrying 464 containers on board.With all crew evacuated…

The Maersk liner vessel Maersk Honam, which was hit by a serious fire on 6 March, will reach anchorage outside the Jebel Ali Port (UAE) on Tuesday 24 April 2018. The fire broke out around 900 nautical miles southeast of Salalah, Oman, and remains under control. Firefighting activities were initiated by the Indian Coast Guard until vessels with special firefighting capabilities arrived at the scene. Salvage operations are led by Smit Salvage and Ardent – two best-in-class companies within maritime salvage. After careful evaluation with port authorities in the area, Jebel Ali was chosen as the most suitable to accommodate the vessel. During…