During late Monday night, a distressing event occurred that occurred off the coast of the Maldives as one of the crew members of the Indian-flagged cargo ship known as MSV Daulah was lost after falling overboard. According to a local news portal, the accident took place approximately a kilometre north of Vilimale, and the incident was initially reported to the authorities at 11:35 pm.
The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) was directly put on alert and mobilised its maritime forces. The Second Squadron of the Coast Guard, under the Male Area Command, immediately pursued a coordinated search effort in a few minutes. The vessels of the squadron were sent to the area of the reported incident, and aerial resources were to scan the waters around it.
By approximately eight hours after the tragedy had occurred, at a time, on the next day, or rather the second day, at 7:22 am, the missing crewman was still not found. Search crews were not giving up and used sea-borne ships as well as aerial surveys. The officials of the MNDF repeated that the search and rescue teams were capable of achieving a lot, and that the operation was still a priority.
The incident highlights the fact that it is a risky undertaking for maritime workers in the Indian Ocean area, where the large expanse of coral reefs, along with unpredictable currents, can be deadly in the Maldives. The Maldives has previously been able to show a quick and organized reaction to maritime crises. An example of this would be in 2021 when a twin-engine aircraft was deployed within minutes of a distress call made by a fishing trawler, and this plane saved the lives of crew members before they would succumb to the conditions of the sea.
In addition to the inquiry being carried out now, the police are on a comprehensive investigation to determine the conditions that caused the fall. They are also going through safety measures on the vessel to avoid future cases. Although the whereabouts of the lost person are still not known, the fact that MNDF and the Coast Guard mobilised swiftly points to the fact that the Maldives is concerned about maritime security and the safety of foreign nationals working in its waters.
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