All 14 Indian crew members aboard the distressed Indian-flagged vessel MSV Virat 1 have been rescued after the ship suffered an engine failure and began sinking off the coast of Oman.

The rescue mission, coordinated by Omani authorities with assistance from nearby vessels and the US Navy, was completed on Sunday after the crew abandoned the vessel and transferred to a liferaft as the emergency happened around 80 nautical miles east of Ras Al Hadd, Oman.

Confirming the development, the Embassy of India in Muscat said all crew members had been safely evacuated and were now aboard MV Jabal Ali 9.

"Rescue operation involving Indian Flagged MSV Virat 1 has been successfully completed. All 14 crew members have been rescued and are presently onboard Jabal Ali 9 heading to Mumbai . The crew members are safe and in good health," the embassy said in a post on X.

The rescue operation had initially begun after reports emerged that the vessel was in distress in waters off Oman. Subsequent updates from the Indian mission revealed that Virat 1 had suffered an engine failure, forcing the crew to abandon ship and move to a liferaft while awaiting assistance.

According to sources, the US Navy played a key role in the early stages of the response. A US Navy P-8 maritime patrol aircraft responded to the distress situation by dropping a liferaft near the vessel and monitoring the evacuation efforts from above.

Surface rescue was coordinated through merchant ships in the vicinity, with MV Jabal Ali 9, a St Kitts and Nevis-flagged vessel, eventually taking all 14 Indian crew members onboard.

No injuries or casualties have been reported, and the embassy said the rescued seafarers were in good health as they headed towards Mumbai.

The incident took place near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest and most strategically significant shipping lanes.

With ANI, PTI inputs