Two fishermen were missing after their boat collided with an Indian Navy submarine late Thursday evening 70 nautical miles off Goa Coast. There were 13 fishermen onboard the boat and 11 of them were rescued, navy said here on Friday adding search operations were on for the remaining members.
"An Indian fishing vessel Marthoma with a crew of 13 reportedly collided with an Indian Naval unit on November 21 about 70 nm North West of Goa," an Indian Navy spokesperson said.
"Search and rescue efforts were immediately launched by the Indian Navy with six ships and aircraft. Eleven crew have been rescued so far," he said.
The search operation to find the two missing crew members is ongoing and was being coordinated with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbai. The Navy has ordered a high-level probe into the matter.
A spokesperson from the Navy said additional assets, from the Coast Guard as well, were being mobilised and diverted to the area of the incident to help with the rescue efforts. The Navy deployed six ships and surveillance aircraft in the rescue mission.
The fishing vessel collided with a Scorpene class submarine - which is a crucial part of India's naval strength, capable of executing a wide range of functions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, and area surveillance.
It has superior stealth techniques and low noise levels, making it a deadly and precise weapon.
