New Delhi: The Indian government has pinpointed 22 India-bound vessels in the Persian Gulf for evacuation and secure transit through the Strait of Hormuz, now effectively sealed off after the US-Israeli strikes on Iran prompted widespread retaliation from Tehran, according to a report by The Hindu.
Twenty of these vessels vital for India’s energy needs are laden with roughly 215,000 metric tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG), 321,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 1,676,000 tonnes of crude oil. The ships includes Indian-flagged vessels alongside those from Marshall Islands, Liberia, Greece, Malta, and Portugal. Ten critical vessels fly the Indian flag: three LNG carriers, 10 LPG carriers, and seven crude oil tankers. Two extra Indian-flagged container ships are also in the list.
Multi-agency efforts are underway, led by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Directorate of Naval Operations (DNO), Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), and Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), to guide these ships out safely.
“611 individuals aboard 22 Indian-flagged vessels operating in and around the Strait of Hormuz, including those positioned west of the key shipping routes, are safe,” Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), told ANI, assuring personnel safety.
Earlier this week, two Indian LPG carriers — Shivalik and Nanda Devi carrying 92,712 metric tonnes of LP — safely transited the Strait under Indian Navy escort. Shivalik has partially discharged at Mundra, Gujarat, pending ship-to-ship transfers, while Nanda Devi awaits cargo operations at Vadinar in Gujarat. The Navy also escorted crude tanker Jag Laadki, carrying 81,000 metric tonnes of UAE’s Murban crude, to Mundra on Wednesday.
The crisis has left some 23,000 Indian seafarers in the Gulf stranded, including 658 on Indian ships; 472 have been pulled out by operators so far, The Hindu noted. While no Indian vessels have faced direct attacks, three crew members died, four were hurt, and one is missing from incidents on foreign ships.
