Cargo ship with 24 Indian seafarers attacked off Oman coast, catches fire; India reacts

An incident of fire on board a foreign-flagged oil tanker carrying 24 Indian seafarers was reported on Monday afternoon near the Omani coast, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) confirmed. The incident occurred at around 1:30 pm on board the vessel MT Marivex, south of the Strait of Hormuz, which was sailing from Karwar in India to Duqm in Oman.

“Preliminary information suggests that all 24 Indian crew members are safe,” Opesh Kumar Sharma, an official in the Ministry, told an inter-ministerial briefing on the latest developments in West Asia. "As per a recent report, “A fire broke out on the vessel MT Merry Vex today at around 1.30 pm. 24 Indian seafarers were on board the vessel. This is the first information we have received. "As per the information we have, all the Indian seafarers are safe for the time being," he said.

He said the government was working with the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Defence and Indian Navy to ensure their safety.

On whether the ship was hit by a projectile, Sharma said: "So whether the ship was hit by a projectile or not, presently we are trying to get absolute information. "As you know fire incident was at 1:30 today."

“The ship was well out of the Strait of Hormuz and well clear to the south,” he added.

The vessel, an oil tanker, was in ballast condition and was not carrying any cargo, the shipping ministry said. "There were only Indian seafarers on board," Sharma said.

In the meantime, the seafarers are being evacuated from the vessel.

The tanker was travelling from Karwar to Duqm when the fire broke out, vessel tracking data from MarineTraffic showed. Authorities are watching the situation closely and more details are awaited.

According to the Ministry, the Directorate General of Shipping’s control room has received over 12,020 calls and 26,832 emails since it was activated. In the last 96 hours alone, it received 390 calls and 968 emails from seafarers, their families and maritime stakeholders.

The ministry also said it has facilitated the safe repatriation of more than 3,506 Indian seafarers till now, including 32 in the past 96 hours, while port operations across India continue to function normally without congestion.

The Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI) has sought urgent assistance for 24 Indian seafarers on board a ship attacked off the coast of Oman as tensions in the Gulf region escalate over the Israel-Iran conflict.

The union said in a post on X that the vessel was close to the strategic Strait of Hormuz and called for immediate intervention. “Indian Navy in Harmouz 24 Indian Seafarers requesting for urgent assistance at 2057.07N 059 degree 0813 off coast Oman onboard @IndiannavyMedia @MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar @shipmin_india @ITFglobalunion,” FSUI tweeted.

After the distress messages went viral on social media, the Indian Embassy in Oman responded to one of the appeals and asked for contact details to get in touch and coordinate help.