13 Indian crew members rescued after tanker attack off Oman; one missing

Muscat: Search and rescue teams in Oman are continuing efforts to locate an Indian sailor who went missing after a Panama-flagged tanker came under attack near the country’s coast. Thirteen other Indian crew members aboard the vessel have been rescued and taken ashore safely.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it had strongly condemned the attack on the tanker El Gaia and was closely monitoring developments.

“Search and Rescue operations for the missing Indian national are continuing,” the ministry said, calling for an immediate reduction in regional tensions.

The MEA said attacks targeting commercial vessels, seafarers, civilians and civilian infrastructure were unacceptable. It also urged all parties to resolve their differences through dialogue and diplomacy.

India called for the restoration of safe navigation and uninterrupted commercial movement through international waterways in the region.

The Indian Embassy in Oman said 14 Indian nationals were on board the tanker when the incident occurred. It added that Omani authorities had rescued 13 of them and were continuing the search for the remaining crew member.

“The Mission is closely monitoring the search and rescue (SAR) operations for the 14 Indian nationals on board the Panama-flagged tanker El Gaia,” the embassy said in a post on X.

The mission also thanked the Omani authorities for their assistance.

Against the backdrop of rising tensions in the region, Oman postponed a meeting involving regional countries that was scheduled to be held in Salalah on September 14.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the decision was taken to create better conditions for meaningful discussions aimed at promoting regional security, stability and cooperation.

The meeting was expected to include Iran and Gulf countries. An Iranian Foreign Ministry official said its postponement followed requests from some regional countries and was agreed upon by Tehran and Muscat.

The attack on El Gaia has further raised concerns over the safety of commercial shipping around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime routes.

Indian seafarers have faced several incidents in the wider region in recent months. Last month, all 13 Indian nationals aboard the Indian-flagged vessel MSV Faize Noore Oliya were rescued after it sank in the Red Sea off Yemen.

The latest incident took place a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed creating a “Seafarers’ Emergency Support Network” at the BRICS Summit. The proposed mechanism would provide assistance to mariners exposed to dangers arising from regional conflicts.

Addressing the BRICS Summit Business Forum in New Delhi, Modi said the security of sea lanes, uninterrupted supply chains and the protection of seafarers were vital to international trade.

Ten Indian seafarers are among 16 Indians reported to have been killed in the wider West Asia conflict. Five other Indian seafarers have died in attacks involving merchant vessels in the Black Sea.