Muscat, October 3: Five Indian nationals aboard a Kuwait-flagged tanker were safely brought ashore after the vessel was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, the Embassy of India in Oman said.
The Indian Embassy said it coordinated the rescue of the five Indian nationals aboard the tanker MT Kazimah III after the vessel was hit by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
“All 5 Indian nationals have been shifted ashore safely,” the Embassy said in a post on X, adding that it had coordinated the rescue operation in cooperation with the Omani authorities.
The Embassy also thanked the Omani authorities for their assistance during the operation.
The MT Kazimah III is a crude oil tanker sailing under the Kuwaiti flag and was en route to the port of Lomé in Togo when the incident occurred.
The incident comes as Indian authorities continue to monitor the safety of Indian seafarers operating on commercial vessels in and around the Persian Gulf.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said earlier that more than 4,500 Indian seafarers were serving aboard commercial vessels operating in the region. Of these, around 163 Indian seafarers were aboard 12 vessels, including six India-flagged ships and six foreign-flagged vessels carrying cargo to India.
Jaiswal said the Ministry of Shipping, in coordination with Indian diplomatic missions and local authorities, was monitoring vessel movements and the welfare of Indian seafarers in the region.“Our Ministry of Shipping continues to monitor the movement of these ships and is looking at the well-being of all these seafarers,” Jaiswal said during a media briefing.
He said diplomatic missions and other stakeholders would provide assistance whenever required.
The incident comes amid security concerns affecting commercial shipping routes in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Black Sea.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly last week, referred to attacks on commercial vessels and seafarers in the Gulf and other maritime regions.
He said India remained committed to the safety and security of commercial shipping and seafarers and called for restraint and de-escalation in the Gulf region to protect civilian crews and maintain the flow of energy supplies and global trade.