Three Indians among 30 missing as ship sinks off Qatar

Mumbai, July 1 : At least three Indian crew members are among 30 reported missing after an offshore vessel sank off the Doha coast in Qatar, an Indian maritime authority said here Wednesday.

The offshore vessel, Demas Victory, bearing the flag of St Vincent & the Grenadines, had six Indians in the 35-member crew when it sank Tuesday. Five of the crew members have been rescued, the Directorate-General of Shipping here said.

The Indian Coast Guard has been requested to join the National Search & Rescue Agency, Qatar to help search for and rescue the missing crew.

Among the five people rescued are three Indians - V. Balakrishnan, Apparao Pothanpally and Jason Varghese. Their missing colleagues include the vessel's chief officer Joseph Soosai Lourde, Prabhu Chellum and Josemon Vashapalli Oomamachan, the official said.

The vessel's managers are Midgulf Offshore Ship Chartering LLC, Dubai. The Indian Embassy in Qatar has been apprised of the accident, the cause of which is not yet known, the official added.

--IANS