NEW DELHI, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Indian coast guard with the assistance from merchant ships rescued 264 fishermen who were stranded in the Arabian sea owing to rough sea conditions, officials said Thursday.
"Some 264 fishermen rescued by seven merchant vessels taken over by three Indian coast guard ships - Samudra Prahari, Samar and Savitribai Phule," a statement issued by Indian coast guard said. "All injured fishermen administrated medical treatment and reported to be healthy."
The coast guard said nine adrift Indian fishing boats (IFBs) were located by a coast guard Dornier aircraft.
The rescue operation began on Tuesday after Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Mumbai received a message from Tamil Nadu Fisheries authority in Colachel intimating about the distress of 50 stranded fishing boats at a distance of 250 nautical miles west of Goa.
