Seventeen Indian sailors, rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter after their cargo ship capsized off the coast of Bahrain, are all set to return home on Tuesday.

The sailors were rescued by a Bahrain Coast Guard helicopter when their cargo ship Siddnath capsized on Friday morning. The boat, with 1,000-tonne capacity, was carrying 485 tonnes of rice to Iraq for the India-based company Sea Star Shipping.

Indian Embassy Second Secretary R Raghunathan said the sailors, 15 from Gujarat and two from Uttar Pradesh, would be sent home on Tuesday.

The Coast Guard has launched an inquiry into the cause of the incident and recorded a statement from the company's United Arab Emirates representative Narendra Shial, the Gulf Daily News reported.

Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty earlier said that the embassy was closely monitoring the investigation and would act on any recommendations to come out of the inquiry.

The Indian mission, in co-operation with the Indian Community Relief Fund, has provided the sailors with clothing and other essentials.