All crew safe: Reports of 4 seafarer deaths on MT Liaki Freedom refuted
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday dismissed reports claiming that the vessel Liaki Freedom, carrying Indian crew members, had been hit by a
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday dismissed reports claiming that the vessel Liaki Freedom, carrying Indian crew members, had been hit by a military strike and confirmed that all crew members on board are safe. In an official statement, the MEA said, “We have spoken with the Master of the vessel Liaki Freedom, who has confirmed that all crew members are safe and that the reported information is false.” Read Full Story Reports circulating on social media and through various unofficial channels had claimed that four seafarers had died aboard the tanker MT Liaki Freedom operating in the Strait of Hormuz region.
However, sources associated with the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) refuted the claims. According to the sources, authorities established contact with the vessel’s Master, who confirmed that all crew members on board were safe. The sources said the information being circulated regarding the deaths of four seafarers was factually incorrect. Amid the ongoing security tensions in the region and recent maritime incidents, several unverified claims had emerged concerning MT Liaki Freedom. These reports alleged that four crew members had been killed in an attack or another incident involving the vessel. However, based on the information currently available, no such incident has been confirmed.
The clarification comes days after three Indian-linked vessels were targeted in the Gulf amid the ongoing Iran war. In one of the incidents, Indian crew members were killed in a US strike on the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello off the coast of Oman. The vessel had 24 Indian crew members on board. Authorities rescued 21 sailors, while the three missing crew members were later confirmed dead. Following the incident, India lodged a strong protest with Washington and summoned the US charg d'affaires in New Delhi. The MEA said it had conveyed its deep concern over the use of lethal force against civilian shipping and stressed that attacks on commercial vessels undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday said he had spoken to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and conveyed India’s strong protest over US naval attacks in the Gulf that killed three Indian seafarers. In a post on X, Jaishankar said he had “reiterated India’s strong protest at the attacks by the US Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners” and stressed that “such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified.” Ends
The BriefWire