Panaji:  The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Thursday rescued a research ship of CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), with 36 people, including eight eminent scientists, on board, after suffering an engine failure off Karwar coast in Karnataka, a senior official said.

The vessel was drifting perilously close to Karwar and posed a threat of running aground that could have resulted in a major oil spill, he said.

“The vessel, named RV Sindhu Sadhana, had an engine failure and was drifting at a speed of 03 knots and was approximately 20 nautical miles from the land when the distress signal was received,” the senior ICG official said.

The situation was critical as the state-of-the-art research vessel was carrying 36 people, including eight esteemed scientists, valuable scientific equipment and research data, he said.

“Moreover, the proximity of the ship to the ecologically-sensitive Karwar coastline posed an imminent threat of grounding, which could have resulted in a major oil spill and devastating pollution to the pristine marine environment,” he said.

After receiving the distress call, the ICG swung into action and activated a high-priority rescue operation, dispatching its highly-advanced ship with a skilled team to the area, the official said.

“Recognising the potential magnitude of the disaster, the ICG got activated to safeguard the ship so as to protect the fragile ecosystem, and save the vessel from running aground,” he said.

Despite challenging weather conditions and the vessel’s considerable distance from the coastline and size of the ship, the ICG team took the ship under tow for safely bringing it to Goa, thereby executing a seamless rescue operation, the official said.

All members on board the ship are safe and sound, he added.