Alert removed after owners faxed report saying ship had sunk

A maritime alert for MT Pavit was issued by the Coast Guards Western Command after the captain of the vessel sent a distress call on June 30. Security agencies were alerted about the vessel after the crew was rescued and the ship abandoned off the Oman coast.

The alert,sources say,was removed only after the owners of the vessel faxed a copy of a British media report saying the ship has sunk. Initially,the abandoned vessel was in the International Maritime marked as NavArea 8,which includes the Oman coast. The Coast Guards Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre MRCC later issued an alert for NavArea 9,the naval area for Indian coastal security jurisdiction. The alert was to constantly monitor any vessel that matches the identity and description given as the current,tide and wind direction showed it was headed for the Indian waters. The alert continued for quite some time,till in mid-July the agencies got the communique from the owners.