The Maldivian bulk carrier MV Asian Express, which had drifted in the choppy seas off Minicoy in the Lakshadweep following an engine failure, sank some 52 nautical miles off the islands on Thursday.
The vessel was on its way from Pakistan’s Port Md Bin Qasim to Maldives with a cargo of nearly 6,500 tonnes of cement and sand.
With the breaking down of the engine, the ship rolled uncontrollably and developed a wide crack, following which it began to get flooded.
Coast Guard ship Varuna rescued all the 22 crew members – 18 Maldivians and four Indians – in an operation that lasted three to four hours. Ship Captain Ahamed Shakeer said the 35-year-old vessel was on its last voyage.
Following the engine failure , the ship drifted for two days.