Defence Ministry said that Indian Navy responded swiftly to a maritime incident in Arabian Sea involving a drone attack on MT Chem Pluto. The vessel, with 22 crew including 21 Indian and one Vietnamese, was reported on fire after being hit by a projectile at around 7:45 AM on Saturday (23 December 2023) . Responding swiftly to the developing situation, Indian Navy diverted a maritime patrol aircraft operating in area undertaking routine surveillance. Indian Navy also diverted Indian naval ship Mormugao to assess the situation and provide assistance to MT Chem Pluto.
The naval maritime patrol aircraft over flew MT Chem Pluto and established contact with the crew on Saturday (23 December 2023. The crew reported all 22 crew members to be safe and that the fire had been extinguished. The Navy also communicated details of developing situation to all Indian maritime agencies for rendering necessary assistance.
The Ministry said the Indian Navy continues to monitor the situation very closely with all stakeholders and is committed to ensuring the safety of merchant shipping in the region.
