Mumbai, Mar 19 (NIE): The vessel was headed towards Tarapur from Mumbai, when an inshore patrol ship of the coast guard was alerted about the incident.

Six crew members of a tugboat, including a 19-year-old, were rescued while a seventh member was reported missing after the vessel capsized off Mumbai coast near Worli on Monday.

The Indian Coast Guard conducted the rescue operation and is now looking for the missing crew member. The vessel was headed towards Tarapur from Mumbai, when an inshore patrol ship of the coast guard was alerted about the incident.

“Amartya, a fast patrol vessel on surveillance mission, was diverted to undertake search and rescue operation, following which six persons were rescued,” said a spokesperson of the Indian Coast Guard. The rescued crew members were identified as Shanu Kumar (19), Tonoy Chalak (22), Dilip Yadav (29), Rashid Qasim Sorathiya (38), Saleem Siddique (40) and Ramesh Keni (55) while the missing person was identified as Abdul Azeez, a Kolkata resident.

Officials said the rescued crew was administered first aid and their condition was stable. Two ships and a Chetak helicopter have been pressed in to locate the missing crew member, they added.

Police have also started an investigation. “We will interrogate the rescued crew members to find out if this was a case of negligence,” senior inspector Surekha Kapile of Yellow Gate police station said. According to police, the vessel was on a contract basis. “We were hired on a contract basis to assist on an ongoing sewage pipeline installation,” said Ravikiran Iyer, the owner of the vessel.

He added that he had renovated the vessel four months ago. “I got a call from an employee around 10.30 am, who told me that the Indian Coast Guard had contacted them regarding the mishap. I tried contacting the crew members, but when I couldn’t, I understood that something had gone wrong,” he said.