Navy submarine collides with vessel off Goa, fishing crew rescue ongoing

The Indian Navy on Friday deployed additional assets, including those from the Coast Guard, after its submarine collided with the Indian fishing vessel Marthoma, which had 13 crew members aboard, on Thursday, about 70 nautical miles northwest of Goa.

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) statement said, "Coordinated Search and Rescue efforts for the remaining two crew members of Marthoma, which reportedly collided with an Indian Naval submarine PM 21 on November 21, 2024, about 70 nm northwest of Goa, are in progress."

"Additional assets, including those from the Coast Guard, have been diverted to the area to augment the efforts," the statement added.

The incident occurred while the naval unit was in transit along the west coast. Immediately following the collision, the Indian Navy launched a Search and Rescue (SAR) operation. Six ships and aircraft were initially deployed to assist with the rescue efforts. So far, 11 crew members have been successfully rescued, while the search continues for the remaining two.

The ongoing rescue operation is being coordinated by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbai. In addition to the Navy's assets, the Coast Guard has also redirected additional resources to support the operation.

The MoD also stated, "Search and Rescue efforts for the remaining two are underway and are being coordinated with MRCC (Mumbai). Additional assets have been diverted to the area to augment the efforts."

The cause of the collision is currently under investigation. The Indian Navy has not released further details on the condition of the two remaining crew members or the status of the vessel involved.

In a related development, on Thursday, the Indian Navy successfully led a tactical phase of Sea Vigil-24 at Victoria Memorial, Kolkata, simulating a VVIP hostage situation. The exercise involved swift responses from CISF, Indian Army snipers, and Victoria Memorial management, ensuring the safe rescue of hostages and neutralising the threat, showcasing strong inter-agency cooperation and readiness.