The Maldivian cargo ship MV Asian Express sank on Wednesday evening 300 kilometres west of Kochi, after its hull reportedly cracked below the waterline.
The ship, which was travelling to the Maldives from Pakistan carrying a cargo of sand and cement, suffered an engine failure on Tuesday evening and began drifting, reported IBN Live.
According to marine tracking reports, the Indian Coast Guard ship Varuna arrived to assist but was forced to abandon attempts to fix the engines because of rapidly deteriorating weather conditions.
The Indian coast guard subsequently evacuated all 22 crew members, including 18 Maldivians and four Indian nationals.
The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) confirmed it had received the first distress reports, and said the Maldivian crew were being transferred to Kochi following total loss of the vessel.
The MV Asian Express was carrying aggregate imported from Pakistan, after a shortage began impacting the Maldives’ construction industry.
Aggregate was previously imported to the Maldives from India under a special quota, however this was temporarily revoked on February 15 amid a breakdown in the country’s relationship over the government’s eviction of Indian infrastructure giant GMR and ongoing mistreatment of Indian nationals working in the country.
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If India had hatred towards the Maldivians they could have left the Maldivian crew members to die in the sunken ship. But till then India loves and supports you and provide you, and you still is against India. How Bias are you Maldivian people excluding me.
Are the cow-worshippers actually helping us? But .. the mullahs say the polytheists and Jews are our worst enemies! How can this be? Why are these infidels rescuing Dhivehistanis? Ah! It must be a conspiracy. The cunning pagans want to convert these vulnerable Dhivehistanis into some idol-cult. Yes, that must be it. Only Arabs help us without asking for anything in return.
Really? How can a cow-worshipper ever be in a position to help a law-abiding god-fearing Muslim?
It is written, told, foretold, cast in granite, printed in true colors, that WE will be protected and THEY will not be loved!!
Yet, it seems we aren't the ones under the shade!
@ homosexual then why u didnt wait until at the shrinking vessel upto the arab peoples come to help ? then why u people looking for help other than arab countries...... think man all r humans......... helping each other is humanity if u help some one then u r the GOD of tat person, he/she saw the GOD through u............
Why are people so into fairy tails ? What about asking questions about incompetent inspections or utter corruption that has clearly been involved in signing out a un sea worthy vessel? I am sure their insurance company will be !!!