Zeenews Bureau
Chennai: The bodies of three of the five missing crew members of an oil tanker, which ran aground by cyclone Nilam here on Wednesday, have been found.
According to CNN-IBN, two sailors remain missing.
On Thursday, the Indian Coast Guard had launched search and rescue operations for the five missing sailors.
Also on Thursday morning, two helicopters rescued 15 crew members abroad Pratibha Cauvery.
Anchored in Bay of Bengal near the Chennai Port, Pratibha Cauvery with 37 crew members started drifting towards the shore due to strong winds on Wednesday. Cyclone Nilam was set to cross the coast between Mamallapuram and Kalpakkam Wednesday evening.
The ship ran aground on Wednesday afternoon at the Elliots Beach or Besant Nagar beach, following which 22 members of the tanker clambered into a life boat, said officials of Coast Guard and the Chennai Port Trust.
According to Coast Guard, the crew members embarked the ship despite their advice to the contrary.
Hit by giant waves, the boat capsized and five people went missing while 17 were rescued and admitted to a hospital, but one of them died.
"The condition of 14 was stable, two were critical but stable and one crew was declared dead due to drowning," a Coast Guard statement said.
(With IANS inputs)
First Published: Friday, November 02, 2012, 10:57