China on Wednesday thanked India and lauded the bravery displayed by the captain of an Indian vessel and his crew, who saved life of 11 Chinese crew members from a sunken ship amid darkness and choppy seas.
In an official communication sent to the Indian Embassy by the Chinese Embassy in Manila, the China government expressed "greatest gratitude" to India for rescuing the crew of a sinking cargo vessel on March 21.
Due to strong winds and waves, Panamanian cargo vessel 'Unicorn Ace' with 19 Chinese crew members, sank about 90-miles west of Luzon, Philippines. A few hours later, an Indian cargo vessel 'Prabhu Yuvika' passing near the place of incident received the emergency signal.
Without hesitation, Captain Gurvinder Singh -- who hails from New Delhi -- ordered his crew to search for the survivors and successfully rescued 11 out of the 19 Chinese crew members, Indian Embassy in Beijing said in a press release.
"Both the rescued Chinese crew members and the embassy are very grateful to the professional and humanitarian performance of Capt Singh and his crew," the communication from the Chinese Embassy in Manila said.
"It is their timely and self-giving action that saved 11 human lives and manifests a vivid example of the long-existing friendship between China and India. Once again, on behalf of the Chinese government, the Embassy takes this opportunity to express its greatest gratitude to Capt Singh, the whole crew members of 'Prabhu Yuvika' and the Indian government," the Chinese side said.
Of the 19 crew members, 11 were saved after a 15-hour rescue operation in the dark and dangerous waters in mid-sea.
