India has initiated a search and rescue operation after a Comorian-flagged oil tanker, Prestige Falcon, capsized off the coast of Oman, leaving its 16-member crew missing. The crew includes 13 Indian nationals and three Sri Lankans.

The capsizing incident occurred 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah, near the port town of Duqm, on Monday, according to a statement from the Omani Maritime Security Centre (MSC), operated by the Omani defence ministry. The MSC confirmed that the search and rescue efforts began immediately, involving the deployment of an Indian ship and aircraft to the scene.

The MSC took to the social media platform X to report the incident, stating, “A Comoros-flagged oil tanker capsized 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah.” They added that the search and rescue operations were “initiated with the relevant authorities,” but the crew remains missing as of the latest update.

The cause of the capsize has not yet been determined. The vessel was en route to the Yemeni port city of Aden, according to maritime tracking website marinetraffic.com.

The Indian government is closely monitoring the situation, and efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the missing crew members.