Muscat/New Delhi, Nov 3: An Indian seafarer was killed and 13 others were rescued after the Indian-flagged cargo vessel on which they were sailing was struck by an unidentified aerial object off the coast of Oman on Monday, the Union government said on Tuesday.
The vessel, MSV Al Jusufi, was carrying 14 Indian seafarers when it was hit while navigating near the Omani coast on November 2. The 13 surviving crew members managed to evacuate the vessel and were rescued by the Omani Coast Guard, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said in a post on X on Tuesday morning.
The seafarer who died was identified as Gandhar Nahim Ajij, a native of Gujarat. Sonowal said Ajij succumbed to his injuries after the strike. "I am deeply saddened to report that one of our seafarers, Gandhar Nahim Ajij from Gujarat, tragically succumbed to his injuries," the minister wrote, offering condolences to the family.
The minister said the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Indian Embassy in Oman were in contact with local authorities to ensure immediate assistance for the 13 survivors and to facilitate the swift repatriation of both the survivors and the mortal remains of the deceased seafarer. The Ministry of External Affairs also issued a statement on the attack, according to reports.
The incident has drawn attention to the risks faced by merchant shipping in waters around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically important waterways. The narrow strait, which links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, carries a large share of the world's seaborne oil trade, and commercial vessels passing through the region have faced a series of attacks in recent years.
According to data from the International Maritime Organisation and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations cited in news reports, more than 120 attacks on commercial vessels have been reported since the conflict in the region began.
The attack on Al Jusufi comes amid a growing number of incidents targeting commercial ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the war between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other began on February 28, reports said.
What exactly struck the vessel remains unclear. The government has so far described the object only as an unidentified aerial object, and no group has been reported to have claimed responsibility for the strike. Officials have not publicly attributed the attack to any party, and further details about the nature of the weapon or the circumstances of the strike are awaited.
Shipping trackers identified Al Jusufi as a cargo vessel sailing under the Indian flag. According to MarineTraffic data cited in reports, the vessel is 52 metres long and 12 metres wide, and it remained in the Gulf of Oman after the incident. The vessel's movements and condition are being monitored as authorities piece together what happened.
For the families of the crew, the hours after the attack were filled with uncertainty. The 13 survivors were evacuated from the vessel and brought to safety by the Omani Coast Guard, and Indian officials said they were working to ensure the crew received immediate assistance. The process of bringing the survivors home, and of returning Ajij's mortal remains to his family in Gujarat, is now under way through diplomatic channels.
India has a large seafaring community, with Indian crew members serving on merchant vessels across the world. When Indian seafarers are caught up in incidents at sea, the response typically involves coordination between the shipping ministry, the external affairs ministry and the Indian mission in the nearest country.
In this case, the Indian Embassy in Oman is the key point of contact with Omani authorities, and officials said that channel was active within hours of the incident being confirmed.
The attack also raises questions about the safety of shipping lanes in the region. Commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and adjoining waters have been advised for years to exercise caution, and maritime security agencies regularly issue warnings about threats to shipping.
Each new incident adds to concerns among shipowners, insurers and seafarers about the risks of operating in these waters, and can affect decisions about routes, insurance costs and crew deployment.
At the same time, the rescue of 13 crew members by the Omani Coast Guard underlines the role of coastal states in responding to emergencies at sea. Under international maritime practice, coastal authorities coordinate search and rescue operations in their waters, and the swift evacuation of the crew prevented a larger loss of life.
As of Tuesday, several questions remained unanswered. Authorities have not said where exactly the vessel was when it was struck, beyond describing its position as near the coast of Oman, nor have they detailed the extent of damage to the ship. It is also not yet clear whether the vessel will be towed to a port for repairs or whether an investigation will be carried out jointly by Indian and Omani authorities.
What is known is that a voyage that began as routine merchant shipping ended in tragedy for one family in Gujarat and a narrow escape for 13 others. The government has promised that the survivors will be brought home quickly and that Ajij's remains will be repatriated with dignity. For now, the focus remains on the welfare of the rescued crew and on establishing precisely what happened to their ship.
The minister's announcement on Tuesday morning was the first official confirmation of the incident in India, and it was quickly picked up by shipping and maritime authorities.
In his message, Sonowal stressed that the ministry and the embassy were in direct contact with local authorities, a line of communication that matters greatly in such cases, because the survivors' medical care, documentation and travel arrangements all depend on cooperation with the coastal state where the rescue took place.
The investigation into the strike will now focus on establishing what kind of object hit the vessel and where it came from. Until that assessment is complete, officials have been careful not to speculate about responsibility.
Maritime security analysts note that identifying an aerial object after the event depends on debris, radar records and the accounts of the crew, all of which take time to gather and verify, particularly when the incident takes place in busy and contested waters.
The incident is a developing story, and further details are expected as Indian and Omani authorities complete their assessments and the rescued crew members are able to recount what they experienced on board.
(Reporting based on The Hindu, Hindustan Times, The Indian Express and The New Indian Express.)