43 Indians rescued, taken to Karachi

ISLAMABAD: Forty-three Indians and 46 others, who were washed off in heavy thunderstorms while operating on an offshore platform off Gujarat's Jamnagar coast, have been rescued and brought to Pakistan's port city of Karachi.

The fate of three of their colleagues including two Indians was not yet known.

The 93 Indians and foreigners were washed off from a ship and a barge in the thunderstorms while operating on an offshore platform near Jamnagar, Indian diplomat Sanjay Mathur said.

They were rescued by a Dubai registered ship and brought to Karachi, said Mathur, who has been deputed by Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal to arrange for their repatriation.

The ship and barge were caught in the heavy thunderstorms that lashed the Arabian sea coast during the past few days.

While Mathur said that five others from the vessels, including three Indians, were missing, Pakistan Navy claimed they have rescued an Indian and a foreigner.

Pakistan Navy spokesman Commander Salman said an Indian sailor Pratap Singh and a foreigner were rescued by a naval ship on Thursday morning.

The two were spotted floating in the water by a Pakistan Navy's reconnaissance plane which alerted a naval ship. The ship in turn rescued them and brought them to Karachi.

The two sailors survived in the sea floating for two days, he said.