India condemns attack on ship off Oman as seafarer remains missing; 13 Indian crew members rescued

India on Sunday condemned an attack on a Panama-flagged oil tanker that resulted in one Indian seafarer being reported missing, and said the targeting of merchant shipping and civilian infrastructure is unacceptable. A commercial ship was attacked off Oman coast early on Sunday with 14 Indian crew members on board.

(Representational Image/REUTERS)Thirteen other Indian seafarers who were part of the crew of MT El Gaia were rescued following the attack off the coast of Oman, the external affairs ministry said. Also Read | A distress network for seafarers at sea: What Modi proposed at BRICS, and why India needs it The attack came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed creating a “Seafarers' Emergency Support Network” at the Brics Summit to safeguard mariners facing heightened risks due to regional conflicts.

Ten Indian seafarers are among 16 Indians killed so far in the West Asia conflict, while another five Indian seafarers have died in strikes on merchant vessels in the Black Sea. “We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel MT El Gaia off the coast of Oman earlier today.

Of the 14 Indian crew onboard, 13 Indians have been rescued so far,” the external affairs ministry said in a statement. “Search and rescue operations for the missing Indian national are continuing. Our embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing search and rescue operation,” it said.

The Indian side thanked Omani authorities for their support in rescuing the Indian seafarers. Also Read | From Hormuz to Black Sea, PM Modi pitches BRICS distress network to rescue seafarers “We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation of tensions and pursuance of dialogue and diplomacy to bring peace to the region,” the statement said.

“The targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers, civilians, and civilian infrastructure in the region is unacceptable.” The Indian side also called for the restoration of free and safe navigation and flow of commerce through international waterways in the region at the earliest.

Indian seafarers make up more than 12% of the global merchant shipping workforce, second only to Philippine nationals. India contributes almost 312,000 of the global total of 2.57 million seafarers. Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015.

He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations.

He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country.

He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack.

As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest.

He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More