The Indian Navy on Wednesday said it had deployed a vessel to help the search and rescue operation for the 16 missing crew members, including more than a dozen Indians, of a Comoros-flagged oil tanker that capsized off the coast of Oman.

A navy source told The National it had also sent a ship and a reconnaissance aircraft for the search mission in co-ordination with Omani authorities.

The oil tanker, Prestige Falcon, was heading to the Yemeni port of Aden when it capsized off Oman’s Duqm Port – a major port for oil and gas mining projects – south-east of Ras Madrakah on Monday.

It was carrying 13 Indians and three Sri Lankan crew members.

The country's Maritime Security Centre said the vessel remained “submerged, inverted”. Oman had immediately launched a search and rescue operation.

The Omani Government Communications Centre on Tuesday said the oil tanker had sunk.

“One of our ships which is deployed in the area for Operation Sankalp … was diverted and carrying out search and rescue operations and this is being done with the co-ordination of Omani authorities,” the Indian Navy official said.

“One long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft has also been deployed for locating survivors. Till this morning, there was no input on any survivor being located.”

The vessel is a 117-metre oil products tanker built in 2007, shipping data showed. Such small tankers are typically used for short coastal voyages.

The ship is owned by United Arab Emirates-based Netco FZE, according to the Equasis marine database.

The port of Duqm is on Oman's south-west coast, close to the sultanate's main oil and gas projects. These include a major oil refinery in Duqm's vast industrial zone, Oman's biggest single economic project.

India's navy plays an active role in rescue and anti-piracy missions across the Indian Ocean and up to the east coast of Africa.

In January, an Indian Navy patrol vessel intercepted an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel that had been hijacked by suspected pirates off the eastern coast of Somalia.

Indian navy commandos also boarded the Liberian-flagged merchant vessel Lila Norfolk in early January after it was ambushed by pirates off Somalia. All 21 crew members, including 15 Indian citizens, were rescued.