Nearly 14 Indian crew members have been rescued after a commercial vessel, MT EL GAIA, was attacked off the coast of Oman on Sunday, the Ministry of External Affairs said. The search and rescue operation for one Indian national who remains missing is continuing.
The MEA condemned the attack, mentioning that 14 Indians were on board when the vessel was targeted.
“Our Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing Search and Rescue operation,” the ministry said in a statement.
It further thanked its Omani counterpart for their support.
In the press release, the ministry reiterated its call for immediate de-escalation of tensions in pursuance of dialogue and diplomacy to bring peace to the region.
“The targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers, civilians, and civilian infrastructure in the region is unacceptable. We also urge that free and safe navigation and flow of commerce through the international waterways in the region be restored at the earliest,” the press release further read.
Earlier on September 12, the UKMTO said a fire had broken out on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz after it was hit by an unknown projectile.
Maritime security firm Vanguard Tech reported that the vessel- Panama-flagged tanker had sent out a distress call following the attack. The Omani Navy was reported to be responding to evacuate the crew.
It is unknown if there were any casualties among the vessel’s crew.