Government rescue effort returns 4,052 Indian seafarers from West Asia

India Aug 05, 2026

4,052 Indian seafarers stranded in the West Asia crisis are finally back home, thanks to a major government-led rescue effort.

Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal shared that the DGCOMM Centre (MMDAC), operating round-the-clock, handled 16,448 calls and 40,594 emails handled by our emergency response channels to make this happen.

Government offers ₹10L to seafarers' families

For families who lost loved ones at sea, the government is providing ₹10 lakh in financial aid under a special risk scheme.

After an Indian-flagged merchant vessel was attacked near Yemen, but its crew was rescued safely, Sonowal condemned the "unprovoked attack" and assured that keeping Indian maritime workers safe remains a top priority.