Confusion over missing crew after Indian supply vessel sinks
Third instance since 2003 involving the state-owned oil company's vessels

An Indian Anchor Handling Tug/Supply vessel has sank 56 miles of Mumbai with what is feared might be the loss of at least five people.

The SAMUDRIKA-10 was owned by India's Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and operated by Chennai firm SICAL Logistics.

The vessel started to take on water yesterday as it waited for a transfer of cargo to the Sagar Gaurav rig in the Bassein & Satellite field of ONGC. There was a 3 to 4 metre swell and winds were reported as being 30-35 knots.

It sank at 12:30 pm and nine of the crew were rescued, but confusion surrounds the number of people on board the vessel.

Officially she had 14 of a crew but the chairman of ONCG told The Times of India that there may have been 'two or three' people as well as the 14 crew. He said they were 'trying to ascertain the facts'.

The company lost one its vessels in 2005 when it struck an oil platform and burst into flames. It later sank whilst under tow. In another incident in 2003, the SAMUDRIKA-3 had her engine rooms flooded, this happened 70 miles off Mumbai on March 4th when hatches were damaged in rough seas. She was towed to port the following day and her crew, manned from Dolphin Offshore, escaped the incident unharmed.

ONCG say the vessel was constructed in 1986 and completed its last statutory dry-dock in February 2006. The next statutory dry-dock was due in November, 2008. The vessel sailed on July 6, 2007 from Nhava Supply Base of ONGC in full sea-worthy condition, said the company in a statement, and complied with all requisite certifications as per the statutory requirement.

Sical Logistics who operate the vessel for ONGC had only last month renewed a three year contract to run ONGC's 17-strong fleet of 'Samudrika' class vessels. Sical have won these contracts since 1995 and this years was their fifth consecutive winning bid.

Rescue efforts to find the missing crew are on-going.

Our picture shows one of the SAMUDRIKA class of vessels at the Indian shipyard prior to delivery in 1986.