Indian Navy becomes saviour for Bulgarian national stuck on hijacked ship

The Indian Navy has evacuated an injured sailor from a hijacked vessel that appeared to be based out of Malta. The personnel from Malta-flagged vessel was rescued off the coast of Somalia, Press Trust of India reported.

The sailor is a Bulgarian national. He was reportedly one of the18 crew members onboard the cargo ship and was injured in firing by the pirates.

The Bulgarian nationalwas evacuated by frontline ship INS Kochi and was further transported for being providedurgent medical assistance.

"The Indian Navy rendered assistance in evacuation of an injured crew member from the hijacked vessel MV Ruen in the early hours of Monday," PTI quoted an official as saying.

"The injured crew member had sustained injuries during the piracy incident but was reported to be stable… The injured crew member was medically managed onboard the ship but due to urgent medical attention required, which was beyond the scope of the ship, he has been transferred ashore at Oman," the official further said.

Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal told the Press Trust of India that the country'snaval forces remain committed to render assistance to the mariners at sea.

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Indian Navy responded to a distress call and swiftly deployedfrontline ship INS Kochi as well as an aircraft. The Indian Navy's maritime patrol aircraft further conducted surveillance missions in the area while its warship on anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden was pressed to locate and assist MV Ruen.

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"The aircraft overflew the hijacked vessel early December 15 and the aircraft has been continuously monitoring movement of the vessel, which is now heading towards the coast of Somalia," the Navy statement said, adding the Naval warship intercepted MV Ruen on the morning of December 16.

India is a signatory to theUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and is committed to assist civil mariners.

The Article 98 of the UNCLOS specifies duty of the signatories to 'render assistance'.

"Every State shall require the mastof a ship flying its flag, in so far as he can do so without serious danger to the ship, the crew or the passengers," it says.

Under Article 98 (1) (c), the signatories are committed to "proceed with all possible speed to the rescue of persons in distress, if informed of their need of assistance."

(With inputs from agencies)