Visakhapatnam, October 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Indian Coast Guard rescued 13 people from a Singapore-bound cargo ship stranded off the Andhra Pradesh coast on Thursday, while efforts were underway to evacuate seven others still aboard.
According to an official statement, the Coast Guard intensified its rescue operation and deployed a helicopter to evacuate crew members trapped on the merchant vessel. Thirteen people were brought aboard the Coast Guard ship Sujay.
The bulk carrier Sigma Pearl, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was stranded near Antarvedi while navigating through the Ravva oilfield following an engine failure.
The ship was suspected to have suffered engine failure amid the impact of severe cyclonic storm Arnab in the Bay of Bengal. The Coast Guard deployed a helicopter and a vessel for the rescue operation, with personnel using the helipad at Mogalthur village in West Godavari district to facilitate evacuation efforts.
The Indian Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel Sujay was also dispatched towards the stranded ship.
The cargo vessel reportedly suffered engine failure while returning to Singapore after unloading its cargo at Visakhapatnam port.
The vessel departed from Visakhapatnam port at around 12.17 a.m. on October 27, as Cyclone Arnab approached Yanam before making landfall in the early hours of October 28.
MarineTraffic, a portal that tracks vessel movements, showed the ship’s status as “Vessel is out of range” two days ago. Its last recorded movement was along its intended route.
Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast in the early hours of October 28, packing maximum sustained winds of 125-135 kmph and gusts of up to 150 kmph.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the landfall process continued for six hours until 8 a.m.
The cyclone claimed four lives and left a trail of destruction across coastal districts, uprooting thousands of trees and electricity poles and causing extensive damage to crops.
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