New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) India has allowed the urgent docking of an Iranian ship in Kochi and provided accommodation to its 183 crew members, government sources said on Friday.
The ship, IRIS Lavan, developed urgent technical issues and was granted emergency docking approval on March 1, following a request from the Iranian side, they said.
India was approached by the Iranian side days before Iranian warship IRIS Dena was sunk by a US submarine using a torpedo off the coast of Sri Lanka.
IRIS Dena was returning home after participating in the Milan multilateral naval exercise hosted by India. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack.
Days before the IRIS Dena incident south of Sri Lanka, India was approached by Iran to take in IRIS Lavan, which was also in the region for the International Fleet Review, the sources said, This request was received on February 28, indicating that docking at Kochi was urgent as the vessel had developed technical issues, they said.
The approval was accorded for the docking of the ship on March 1. IRIS Lavan docked at Kochi on March 4, the sources said.
Its 183 crew members are currently accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi, they added. PTI MPB RC
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