A Philippines-registered vessel that drifted towards Andhra Pradesh’s Antarvedi coast after being hit by a cyclone has been towed to Kakinada anchorage following the safe rescue of all 20 crew members, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle.
The vessel was reportedly caught in the cyclone and suffered an engine failure, leaving it without propulsion as it moved towards the shore near Antarvedi. The incident brought the vessel into the operational area of the Indian Coast Guard and local maritime authorities along the Andhra Pradesh coast.
All 20 crew members, who were from Visakhapatnam, were safely rescued by the Indian Coast Guard’s Chennai unit after the vessel drifted towards the coast. The source report does not provide details of the rescue location, the condition of the crew or whether any injuries were reported.
After the rescue operation, Smit Salvage, a marine salvage company, undertook the task of securing and moving the vessel. The company successfully towed the empty vessel to Kakinada anchorage port, removing it from the immediate coastal drift situation.
The vessel was not carrying cargo, according to the report. Its engine failure, combined with the cyclone conditions, caused it to lose the ability to navigate away from the coast. The source material does not specify the vessel’s name, size, route, flag details beyond its Philippines registration or the exact date and duration of the tow operation.
The incident highlights the operational role of Kakinada anchorage in handling vessels requiring assistance off Andhra Pradesh’s coast. Anchorage areas allow vessels to be held or managed outside the main port facilities, including during salvage and recovery operations. In this case, the vessel was moved there after the crew had been evacuated and the immediate risk of drifting towards the shore had been addressed.
The report does not state whether the vessel will undergo repairs, inspection or further movement after reaching the anchorage. It also does not mention any disruption to port traffic, damage to coastal infrastructure or environmental impact. Further operational details would depend on assessments by the maritime authorities, the vessel’s owners and the salvage company.
The immediate sequence reported by Deccan Chronicle was the crew rescue by the Indian Coast Guard followed by the tow undertaken by Smit Salvage. The vessel is now at Kakinada anchorage, while information on its next movement and the formal findings related to the engine failure remains unavailable in the supplied report.
