Three Indian seafarers reported missing after a US attack on a tanker off the coast of Oman have died, shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Thursday even as reports came in of another US strike on a merchant vessel with Indian crew members in the same region.
The three Indian seafarers were reported missing after Omani armed forces rescued the other 25 crew members, including 21 Indians, of the Palau-flagged MT Settebello following an attack by a US aircraft on Wednesday.
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“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 bodies have been located and identified,” Sonowal said on social media.
Describing the deaths as a “profound loss to our maritime family”, Sonowal said the government “stands firmly with the bereaved during this difficult hour and is fully committed to supporting the next of kin”.
Sonowal said he had directed officials to ensure the immediate repatriation of the rescued crew members and the swift return of the bodies of the dead.
People familiar with the matter said there was another US strike on a merchant vessel with Indian crew members off the coast of Oman on Thursday. All the crew members on the vessel were reported to be safe, they said.
“We have learnt of an incident involving a vessel off Shinas port of Oman, earlier today. We are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the local authorities for further details,” the Indian embassy in Oman said in a social media post.
India had on Wednesday condemned the attack on Settebello and the external affairs ministry summoned US charge d’affaires Jason Meeks to register a strong protest over the incident.
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Earlier on Thursday, Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI), had identified two of the dead crew members of Settebello as deck cadet Aditya Sharma and engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya.
“I was given the names of the dead crew members by the companies that recruited them,” Yadav told HT.
“It is unacceptable that merchant vessels and their crew members are being attacked in this manner. The vessels that were attacked were not carrying any weapons,” Yadav said, referring to the US attacks on Settebello and MT Marivex this week.
The 24 Indian crew members on Marivex were evacuated to safety by the Omani military after a US missile strike on the Palau-flagged vessel.
“Both Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the US have targeted merchant vessels during the ceasefire,” Yadav said. “The US attacks have targeted the engine room of the vessels, which are full of fuel and other combustible materials, thus increasing the risk to the crews.”
The US Central Command said on social media that Settebello was disabled as it transited the Gulf of Oman by an aircraft firing precision munitions into the ship’s engine room “after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces”. It said the ship “violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran”.
