Indian Crew Member Killed After Oil Tanker Hit by Unmanned Vessel Off Oman
MUSCAT, Oman — An Indian national was killed after an oil tanker was struck by an unmanned surface vessel in the Gulf of Oman, marking the first reported Indian casualty linked to the escalating Iran conflict.
The vessel, MKD Vyom, flagged to the Republic of the Marshall Islands, was attacked about 52 nautical miles off Oman’s coast, according to the Oman News Agency. The tanker was carrying an estimated 59,463 metric tons of cargo when the strike triggered a fire and explosion in the main engine room.
Omani authorities said one Indian crew member died in the incident.
“The Embassy of India expresses its deepest condolences on the tragic demise of an Indian national on board MKD Vyom,” the Embassy of India in Oman said in a post on X. “The Embassy is in close coordination with the local authorities in Oman to facilitate the safe and early repatriation of our nationals on board the vessel.”
“We remain committed to extending all possible assistance in this matter,” the embassy added.
The tanker had a crew of 21 members, including 16 Indian nationals, four Bangladeshi nationals and one Ukrainian national. In coordination with Oman’s Maritime Security Centre, the crew was evacuated by the commercial vessel MV Sand, which flies the flag of Panama.
A ship from the Royal Navy of Oman is monitoring the damaged tanker and issuing navigational warnings to vessels transiting the area, Omani officials said.
The attack comes amid heightened military tensions across the region. Earlier Monday, Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman held phone calls with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the escalating conflict and its impact on regional security and stability.
According to Oman’s Foreign Ministry, the leaders emphasized the need for international efforts to halt rising tensions and return to dialogue and diplomacy to contain the crisis.
On Sunday, Oman’s foreign minister, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, joined the 15th extraordinary meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Ministerial Council via videoconference. The session was chaired by Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Bahrain’s foreign minister and current president of the council.
During the meeting, Albusaidi reaffirmed Oman’s solidarity with fellow Gulf Cooperation Council member states and stressed the importance of collective action to halt the war in the region, address its underlying causes and consequences, and intensify diplomatic engagement. (Source: IANS)
