Muscat, Oman June 8: All 24 Indian crew members aboard the oil tanker MT Marivex were safely rescued by Omani authorities following a fire incident on the Madagascar-flagged vessel in waters south of the Strait of Hormuz, the Indian Embassy in Muscat confirmed on Monday.
In a statement posted on X, the Embassy expressed gratitude to the Omani authorities for their swift response and successful rescue operation.
“We are thankful to the Omani authorities for their prompt action in rescuing all 24 Indian crew members aboard MT Marivex and ensuring their safety,” the Embassy said.
The rescue operation came shortly after the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) confirmed that a fire had broken out on the vessel at around 1:30 pm. Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing on developments in West Asia, Shipping Division Director Opesh Kumar Sharma said preliminary reports indicated that all Indian seafarers on board were safe.
Sharma said the ministry is closely coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions abroad, the Indian Navy, and the Ministry of Defence to monitor the situation and ensure the well-being of the crew.
“We are in touch with the vessel’s owners and are working to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding the incident. We are also coordinating with our mission in Oman,” he said.
Responding to reports that the tanker may have been struck by a projectile, Sharma said authorities were still verifying the facts and that no conclusion had yet been reached regarding the cause of the fire.
He added that the vessel was operating well south of the Strait of Hormuz at the time of the incident. According to the ministry, the oil tanker was not carrying any cargo and was sailing in ballast condition. The vessel was registered under the Madagascar flag and had an all-Indian crew.
Earlier in the day, the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) had sought urgent assistance for the crew through a social media post, reporting that the vessel was located off the coast of Oman. The Indian Embassy in Muscat subsequently established direct contact with the crew and coordinated with local authorities, leading to the successful rescue of all seafarers.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns in the West Asia region, although officials have not linked the fire to any specific threat and investigations are ongoing.