The merchant ship MV Chem Pluto which was
attacked by a drone on December 23rd has started moving at a speed of around 11
nautical miles per hour and has been joined by Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS
Vikram last night, Indian Coast Guard
officials were quoted by media reports.
The officials
shared that the vessel has been requested to be escorted by ICGS Vikram and is
expected to reach Mumbai by early December 25th
Earlier, the
Indian Coast Guard Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft established
communication with the distressed vessel MV Chem Pluto after it was hit by a
drone attack.
After the attack, the ship switched off its
automatic identification system used for tracking the vessel. The power generation system of the ship is
now functional and more checks are being carried out before it sets out for its
destination, Indian Coast Guard officials said.
The merchant
vessel was reported to be present at 217 nautical miles off Porbandar coast two
days ago, defence officials said.