3 ships with Indian crew attacked in West Asia: Report
What's the story
Three foreign-flagged ships, including one Zimbabwean and two others, were attacked in the West Asia crisis between September 8 and September 9. The incidents were reported by the Directorate of Maritime Administration. Fortunately, all crew members on board these vessels are safe and accounted for. The Zimbabwe-flagged crude oil tanker Riesco was reportedly struck by United States Naval forces in the Gulf of Oman on September 8 at around 11:00pm IST.
Pre-attack evacuation
'Horizon 1' LPG carrier also attacked
Before the attack, all 21 Indian crew members on board Riesco were safely evacuated and taken to an Iran port for shelter.
The second incident involved a Palau-flagged LPG Carrier Horizon 1, which was attacked on September 8 at around 11:30pm IST at Khor Fakkan OPL.
The owner/technical managers of the vessel, KBT Ship Management, confirmed that all 16 crew members (14 Indians and two Georgians) were rescued by a nearby ship and are safe.
Ongoing threat
'Mersin Prosperity' crude oil tanker also hit
The third incident involved a Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker, Mersin Prosperity, which was struck by a projectile near Fujairah on September 9.
All crew members on board are safe and accounted for.
The report also highlighted that six Indian-flagged vessels and eight foreign-flagged vessels of Indian interest are currently in the Persian Gulf (west of the Strait of Hormuz), with a total of 173 Indian seafarers onboard.
Safety measures
Evacuation of Indian crew from Persian Gulf underway
A total of 10 vessels of Indian interest are identified for evacuation from the Persian Gulf region.
Since the start of the West Asia conflict, four incidents involving Indian-flagged vessels and 50 involving foreign-flagged vessels with Indian crew have been reported.
These incidents have resulted in nine seafarer fatalities, 12 injuries, and one presumed dead.