24 Indian seafarers safe after tanker strikes in Strait of Hormuz and off Romania
Crude oil tanker MT ST 3 was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on 16 October and chemical tanker YARA J was hit by a drone off Romania on 14 October; all 24 Indian crew across both vessels are safe, India's shipping minister says.
All 24 Indian seafarers aboard two tankers struck in separate incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and off Romania this week are safe, with no casualties or injuries, India’s ports, shipping and waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Friday (The New Indian Express).
Crude oil tanker MT ST 3, carrying 15 Indian seafarers, was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on 16 October. In a separate incident on 14 October, chemical tanker YARA J, carrying nine Indian seafarers, was hit by a drone at Sulina Anchorage in Romania.
“Thankfully, all 24 Indian nationals across both vessels are completely safe with no casualties or injuries,” Sonowal said in a post on X, adding that the government was closely monitoring both situations and coordinating with the ship management companies (The Tribune).
The incidents come amid a surge of attacks on commercial shipping. A Singapore-registered container ship, the GFS Pride, caught fire and sank in the strait on Thursday after a projectile strike, with all 21 crew evacuated safely (The National).
On Thursday, India condemned the attacks at the UN Security Council, with Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni calling strikes on commercial shipping “legally and morally indefensible” and urging de-escalation through dialogue (The Tribune).
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