Navy aircraft in Philippines to search for missing Indians

New Delhi:  The Indian Navy has sent a maritime reconnaissance aircraft to the Philippines to join search operation for 10 Indians on-board a cargo ship that sank in the Pacific off Japan on Friday.  The P 8I long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft landed at the Vilamor air base in Manila and will shortly start the search operation, a senior official of the Navy said.

On Friday, the 33,205-tonne cargo ship Emerald Star sank off Okinawa. Sixteen Indians have been already rescued, while a search was still on for 10 other missing Indians. Indian missions in Japan, the Philippines and China were coordinating the search operation.

“One P-8I aircraft took off at 11:45 PM yesterday for Manila to search for missing sailors of MV Emerald Star,” the Navy official said.