New Delhi: Serious concerns over maritime security in the Gulf region, around Strait of Hormuz, were raised once again Haji Ali, a cargo ship from Gujarat, sank off the coast of Oman following a suspected drone strike.
Thankfully, all 14 Indian crew members were rescued safely by Omani authorities.
New Delhi expressed deep concern on the latest incident amid US-Iran tensions, describing the attack as “unaccepable”.
“The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable, and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Several livestock animals being transported on the vessel were washed away after the ship sank.
“All Indian crew on board are safe, and we thank the Omani authorities for rescuing them,” MEA said.
India stre
ssed that civilian shipping must not be targeted, as such attacks threaten innocent crew members or disrupt freedom of navigation and maritime trade.
Registered at Salaya Port in Devbhoomi Dwarka district, the ship, carrying livestock, was sailing from Somalia to Sharjah when the incident happened.
According to reports, the ship was passing near Limah, off Oman’s northern coast, at around 3,30 am when it was struck by an unidentified explosive object, suspected to be a drone or missile. The impact of the explosion triggered a fire on the vessel, which lost stability and sank in the sea.
The crew didn’t panic and acted promptly. As flames spread through the ship, the sailors — captain and 13 crew members — sent out a distress signal and evacuated into lifeboats.
The Oman Coast Guard brought all crew members safely to Deeba Port.
It is not yet known who carried out the strike on the vessel.
The Indian Sailing Vessels Association urged the Indian government to ensure the crew’s return at the earliest.
This is second such incident involving a Gujarat-linked vessel in less than a week.
Al Faiz Noor Suleimani-1, another vessel from Salaya, recently sank in the Strait of Hormuz after being caught in crossfire linked to the ongoing regional conflict.