Overview
- On Thursday the Indian Coast Guard airlifted 13 of the 20 crew from the Marshall Islands‑flag bulk carrier Sigma Pearl and said operations to evacuate the remaining seven are still under way.
- The Sigma Pearl lost engine power while navigating near Antarvedi after leaving Visakhapatnam on October 27 as very severe cyclonic storm Arnab swept the Bay of Bengal.
- Rescue teams used a helicopter, the Offshore Patrol Vessel Sujay and the Mogalthur village helipad to move crew to safety and coordinate surface and air efforts.
- Vessel tracking showed the ship as “out of range” before rescues, highlighting how transponder outages and extreme weather can hinder remote monitoring of merchant ships.
- Cyclone Arnab has already caused at least four deaths and widespread coastal damage, which is straining local response capacity and raises the stakes for the ongoing maritime rescue.