IAF rescues 18 crew members of Iraqi vessel

Two Mi-8 helicopters of the Indian Air Force rescued 18 crew members of an Iraqi tanker which ran aground in stormy conditions near the Kori Creek in the northwest region of Kutch district of Gujarat, defence sources said in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

The helicopters from the Jamnagar air base were pressed into service last afternoon after the Indian Coast Guard received a message about an Iraqi tanker 'MV Sea Glory' being stranded near the Creek.

The 18 crewmembers, consisting of 13 Iraqi nationals and five Indians, took the help of an onboard rescue boat and reached the nearby Creek.

The IAF helicopters later rescued all the 18 stranded members from the Kori Creek and brought them to the forward IAF air base at Naliya in Kutch. The ship was later found lying tilted in the sea, sources added.