New Delhi: A crude carrier, flying the Indian flag, left the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), even as the facility came under attack on Sunday morning.
The MT Jag Laadki, carrying about 80,800 tonnes of Murban crude is now sailing towards India and all crew members are safe, the government said in an update, as reported by The Tribune.
The Centre said on Sunday that it is closely monitoring the situation in West Asia while ensuring stable fuel supplies and maritime safety.
The crude carrier is the fourth Indian-flagged vessel to have come out of the war zone unharmed. While this safe safe passage, assured by Iran, is being considered an important milestone for Indian diplomacy, the cargo being carried by these ships is also critical for India’s energy supplies.
“On March 14, 2026, while the Indian-flag vessel Jag Laadki was loading crude oil at the Fujairah Single Point Mooring, the Fujairah oil terminal was attacked. The vessel sailed safely from Fujairah at 1030 hrs IST today (Sunday), carrying about 80,800 tonnes of Murban crude oil and is bound for India,” the update said.
“The vessel and all Indian seafarers onboard are safe,” it added.
Two Indian-flag LPG carriers – MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi – carrying about 92,712 tonnes of LPG crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. The Shivalik is due to reach Mundra port in Gujarat on March 16, and Nanda Devi would dock at Kandla port on March 17.
These two ships were among the 24 Indian ones stranded on the west side of the Strait since the war broke out in the region. Besides these 24, four are stranded on the east side of the strategic chokepoint.
Besides the 24 on the west side of the strait, four others were stranded on the east side. Of these four, the MT Jag Prakash, an Indian-flag tanker, carrying gasoline from Oman to Africa, crossed the war-hit strait on Friday.
This ship loaded gasoline from the Sohar port in Oman and is now headed to Tanga in Tanzania. It is due to reach Tanga on March 21, the government said.
Indian vessels and seafarers operating in the region remain safe, and maritime operations are being closely monitored, the government said. At present, 22 Indian-flagged vessels with 611 seafarers remain on the west side of the Persian Gulf region, it noted.
India imports nearly 88 per cent of its crude oil, 50 per cent of its natural gas, and 60 per cent of its LPG needs. More than half of India’s crude imports, about 30 per cent of gas, and 85-90 per cent of LPG imports came from West Asian countries, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE till the conflict started on February 28.
“The Directorate General of Shipping continues to monitor the situation in coordination with ship owners, RPSL agencies, and Indian Missions,” the update said.
“Since the activation of the DG Shipping Control Room, 2,995 phone calls and more than 5,357 emails have been handled from seafarers, their families, and maritime stakeholders seeking information and assistance,” it added.
The Ministry of Shipping continues to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Missions, shipping companies, and maritime stakeholders to ensure the safety and welfare of Indian seafarers while maintaining the continuity of maritime trade and port operations, the update said.
Officials have said that the DG Shipping facilitated the safe repatriation of 276 Indian seafarers from the Gulf region so far. They included 23 repatriations in the past 24 hours from airports and regional locations.
