At least 24 Indian seafarers were evacuated from an unladen oil tanker that caught fire in the Gulf of Oman after being struck by American forces.
As per the details, the incident occurred south of the Strait of Hormuz when the Palau-flagged vessel, MT Marivex, sent distress messages stating that the ship was on fire and sinking. Omani authorities deployed helicopters to evacuate the crew, transferring all 24 individuals to Masirah Island.
The development was followed by United States (US) Central Command issuing a statement confirming that American forces “disabled an unladen oil tanker” on June 8.
According to the military command, the action was taken “after the vessel violated the ongoing blockade against Iran by attempting to sail to an Iranian port”.
The statement added that “an F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) fired a precision munition into the ship’s engineering and steering spaces after the crew failed to comply with directions from US forces”, concluding that “Marivex is no longer sailing to Iran”.
Opesh Kumar Sharma, a representative of India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, stated that preliminary reports confirmed the safety of all seafarers.
Hr noted that government departments were actively coordinating to ensure crew security, though official statements did not specify the internal cause of the fire.
The All-India Seafarers Union confirmed receiving distress communications from a crew member shortly after the outbreak of the fire and monitored the subsequent rescue operations.
Simultaneously, the Forward Seamen’s Union of India described the development as a “matter of serious concern” and called for immediate measures to secure the crew, assist their families and implement broader security protocols for seafarers operating in the region.
It may be noted while the vessel had previously also been sanctioned by American authorities due to alleged links to Iran, the incident takes place amid heightened regional tensions involving Iran, the US and Israel.
Said tensions have altered shipping routes and increased military operations within the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in a number of similar incidents over the past several weeks.
