Thirteen Indian crew members have been rescued from a Panama-flagged bitumen tanker in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Coast Guard said.

The vessel, identified as Reem 5, suffered engine room flooding and started sinking some 210 nautical miles off Okha on January 23, 2020.

After issuing a distress signal, the crew was successfully evacuated by the nearby cargo vessel Ganga despite adverse weather conditions.

As explained, Ganga was diverted by the Indian Coast Guard to rescue the seafarers in trouble.

No details on the possible salvage of the asphalt tanker are known.

The 1,782 cbm Reem 5 is operated by the UAE-based company Aurum Ship Management, according to data provided by VesselsValue. At the time of the incident,