Thursday, June 2 2005 21:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Haldia (WB): Fifteen persons, including 12 crew members, were missing after an Indian Kolkata-bound cargo ship, M V Faiz, was found abandoned and drifting 150 nautical miles from Haldia today (Jun 2, 2005) after a devastating fire on board, Coast Guard sources said.

Besides, the 12 crew members, the wife and two children of the ship's captain, P B Shelley, were also missing, the sources said in Haldia.

The ship had sailed from Yangon with a consignment of pulses.

The sources said that the ship was missing since May 30. On May 31 the Shipping Corporation of India had approached the Coast Guard to launch a search operation.

The sources said the blaze had gutted the upper deck.

Two Coast Guard rescue vessels, 'Chandbibi' and 'Jijabai' and two Dornier aircraft were searching the waters for those missing from the ship.

South 24 Parganas Superintendent of Police Siddhinath Gupta said that all police stations in the coastal district had been alerted.