7 Indian vessels with 148 seafarers stranded in Persian Gulf amid Hormuz crisis
Amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, seven Indian-flagged vessels carrying 148 Indian seafarers remain inside the Persian Gulf as fresh fighting between the United
Amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, seven Indian-flagged vessels carrying 148 Indian seafarers remain inside the Persian Gulf as fresh fighting between the United States and Iran threatens commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. According to news agency PTI, government officials said the vessels were already positioned on the western side of the strait before the latest round of military escalation began. Like the initial phase of the West Asia conflict earlier this year, the ships are expected to remain inside the Gulf until the security situation improves. Read Full Story "About 148 seafarers are onboard the seven Indian-flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf. And given the current situation, they are not planning to come out of the region as of now," a government official told PTI. Five of the seven Indian-flagged ships are engaged in commercial operations in the region. It comes as fresh missile attacks on commercial vessels have once again turned one of the world's busiest shipping lanes into a conflict zone. The renewed violence has also cast fresh doubts over the fragile peace arrangement reached between Washington and Tehran in June. DEADLY ATTACK ON TANKERS The situation worsened after missiles struck two Emirati oil tankers, MT Al Bahyah and MT Mombasa B, while they were passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The vessels were sailing through the southern shipping lane within Omani territorial waters when they came under attack.
An Indian seafarer aboard MT Al Bahyah was killed in the strike, according to government officials. The attack also left several other crew members injured. MT Al Bahyah was carrying 23 crew members, including 12 Indians, six Filipinos, three Russians, one Egyptian and one Sri Lankan. MT Mombasa B also had a crew of 23, including 17 Indians, three Ukrainians and three Georgians. The latest attack came just two days after the Cyprus-flagged container vessel GFS Galaxy was hit in an Iranian strike. One Indian crew member on board that vessel remains missing, while other crew members were rescued. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for targeting the tankers. The IRGC said the vessels had "ignored repeated warnings" before being "targeted and disabled". It also accused Washington of "inciting vessels to use an illegal route". RISING TOLL ON INDIAN SEAFARERS The latest casualty has pushed the human cost of the conflict for Indians even higher. PTI reports that government figures show 14 Indian nationals have lost their lives since the conflict expanded across the Gulf region. Officials have also reported three Indians missing during the same period. The deaths have come in separate attacks involving commercial vessels operating in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Last month, three Indian sailors were also killed when the US struck the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello.
The BriefWire