New Delhi:
Three Indian seafarers, initially reported missing, have died after a vessel was attacked by US forces off the coast of Oman earlier this week, Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said. The minister said while all three sailors are confirmed dead, bodies of only two have been recovered so far.
The Palau-flagged oil tanker, the Settebello, had a total crew of 28 members, including 24 Indian nationals and four foreign nationals– two Pakistanis, one Ukrainian, and one Russian– when it came under the US military’s attack in the Gulf of Oman.
It was initially reported that while 21 Indian sailors were rescued from the ship, three seafarers– identified as deck cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya and chief engineer Patnala Suresh — remained missing.
“It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after two bodies were recovered,” he said in a post on X.
“This is a profound loss to our maritime family. The Modi government stands firmly with the bereaved during this difficult hour and is fully committed to supporting the next of kin. I have directed officials to ensure immediate repatriation of the rescued crew members and swift return of the mortal remains of the deceased for their final rites,” he added.
India Condemns The Attack
The ship’s management company has experienced difficulties establishing a stable network connection with the remaining seafarers on board the vessel. The casualties occurred after US Central Command forces used precision munitions to strike the oil tanker off the coast of Oman for allegedly violating an ongoing blockade on Iranian oil.
India has condemned the incident, saying 24 Indians came under attack by the US Navy as the vessel tried to cross Hormuz.
“Attacks on shipping in the region are deeply worrisome and a direct result of the ongoing conflict in the region. We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation.”
The US Central Command, later, acknowledged the strike on the vessel, saying it violated the ongoing US blockade of the Iranian ports by attempting to transport oil from Iran. It said one of its warplanes had fired on the tanker in the Gulf of Oman, disabling the vessel as it attempted to transport oil from Iran.
US Central Command said in a post on X, identifying the Palau-flagged Settebello, that the “crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces”.
India Lodges Protest
India summoned Washington’s charge d’affaires in New Delhi to lodge a “strong protest” over the attack, a senior Indian government official told news agency AFP.
A critical waterway for global fuel supplies, the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf has been almost completely blocked since the start of the Middle East war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.
Talks during a fragile ceasefire in place over recent weeks have failed to deliver a deal to reopen the strait. While Iran has blockaded the shipping lane since the war began, the US has also enforced its own competing blockade since April.
Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported an incident 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar in Oman, saying the vessel had reported one casualty and two crew members missing.
“Local authorities have reported a tanker has experienced a fire in their engine room and are on the scene assisting with the evacuation of the crew,” it said.
British maritime security company Vanguard Tech said the Palau-flagged tanker Settebello had “transmitted a distress call stating that its engine room had been struck by a missile while operating off Sohar in the Gulf of Oman” and that there was a fire on board.
On Monday, Omani authorities airlifted 24 Indian sailors off a tanker on fire off the coast of Oman, south of the capital Muscat, though there was no indication at the time of what sparked the fire.
