Ship Hit By Drone Arrives Outside Mumbai Port Escorted By Coast Guard

The Merchant ship MV Chem Pluto, attacked by a drone two days ago, arrived outside the Mumbai port escorted by the Indian Coast Guard ship Vikram, Defence officials said on Tuesday.

The cargo on the ship will be transferred to another ship and a joint investigation is being done by the Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy, Intelligence agencies, and other officials concerned to find out more about the December 23 attack.

As per the defence officials, agencies will also try to find out if the projectile used to attack the ship was a missile or a drone. The Indian Coast Guard has enhanced patrolling in the area to protect merchant vessels passing the region.

On Sunday, officials said the India-bound merchant vessel, "which came under attack by a drone", is being escorted back to native shores by Coast Guard ship Vikram in the Arabian Sea.

According to them, the merchant ship, hit by a suspected drone, requested to be escorted by ICGS Vikram.

Indian Coast Guard Dorniers are also airborne to keep an eye on the merchant vessels and surveil the area, officials added.

MV Chem Pluto, with 20 Indian and one Vietnamese crew member caught fire on Saturday after it was reportedly hit by a drone. It was later secured by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), the ICG said in a statement.

The merchant vessel set sail from the UAE on December 19 and was bound to arrive at the New Mangalore port on December 25.

According to the official statement, on December 23, the Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai received information about a fire onboard MV Chem Pluto.

The Indian Coast Guard Maritime Coordination Centre (MRCC), which established real-time communication with the vessel's agent, ascertained no loss of life and assured all assistance.

The vessel fire had been doused by the crew. To augment the vessel's safety, MRCC Mumbai has activated ISN and immediately diverted other merchant vessels in the vicinity of Chem Pluto for assistance.

"The Indian Coast Guard also pressed Offshore Patrol vessel Vikram and Coast Guard Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft into action for rendering assistance to Chem Pluto. The Coast Guard Dornier aircraft has sanitised the area and established communication with Chem Pluto. The vessel has started making its way towards Mumbai after undertaking damage assessment and repairs on its power generation systems," the statement further read.

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