The Indian Coast Guard rescued all 20 crew members of the Philippine cargo vessel Sigma Pearl on Thursday evening after it ran aground in the Bay of Bengal off the Andhra Pradesh coast amid severe Cyclone Arnab. The vessel had been stranded since Wednesday afternoon due to adverse weather conditions.

The ship, carrying sulphur, suffered an engine failure while sailing from Visakhapatnam to Singapore after unloading its cargo at the port. Unable to continue its journey amid rough seas and strong winds, it drifted off course and ran aground near Antarvedi–Mogaltur, close to the Ravva oil field in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) Basin.

“The rescue operation was completed by Thursday evening, averting a potential maritime emergency,” the official statement said.

The Coast Guard launched a rescue operation after receiving information about the stranded vessel. Personnel were mobilised from the Mogaltur area in West Godavari district and deployed Coast Guard ship Sujay to assist the vessel and evacuate its crew.

According to the official statement, rescuers initially evacuated 13 crew members and safely transferred them to Sujay. The operation continued to rescue the remaining crew members. Coast Guard personnel worked in difficult sea conditions, with helicopter support also deployed to facilitate the evacuation.

“All 20 crew members were eventually rescued by Thursday evening,” the statement said.

Despite the successful evacuation, the condition of the stranded vessel remains a concern. Port officials and maritime authorities are monitoring the situation. A detailed inspection is expected to assess the damage and determine the next course of action.

The statement identified Sigma Pearl as a bulk carrier owned by Pearl Marine Ltd-MAI, with Pioneer Marine Advisers Pte. serving as its commercial and ISM manager. The vessel sails under the Marshall Islands flag and has a deadweight capacity of 32,688 tonnes.