New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday confirmed that there are currently six Indian ships with 125 seafarers west of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints for oil shipments. With India being the second-largest seafaring community in the world, many Indian seafarers are also serving on foreign vessels in the region.
“We have six Indian vessels which are west of the Strait of Hormuz, so in the Persian Gulf, there are 125 seafarers who are onboard these Indian ships. In addition, there are 41 Indian seafarers who are onboard foreign ships which are there in that area,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal while addressing a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi.
“Ministry of Shipping is also closely monitoring our ships and our seafarers so that we can ensure their well-being and welfare. Our missions in the region are in touch with the Ministry of Shipping to see if there is any requirement to support them and to offer any assistance that might be required,” he added.
A Mozambique-flagged LPG tanker with 28 Indian crew members on board came under attack in Iranian territorial waters July 24, the Indian Embassy in Iran stated.
“The Embassy of India in Tehran is aware that the Mozambique-flagged LPG tanker DISHA (IMO No. 8818219) came under attack in Iranian territorial waters earlier today. The vessel has 28 Indian crew members on board. The Embassy has been in close contact with the relevant authorities and has confirmed that all Indian crew members are safe,” a statement issued by the Embassy noted.
It said that the Indian mission continued to monitor the situation closely and remains in touch with the concerned authorities.
Earlier, the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) directed ship owners, ship managers and Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) companies to avoid deploying Indian seafarers on vessels undertaking voyages through the Strait of Hormuz until further orders, citing the heightened security situation in the Gulf region.
Taking to the social media platform X, the maritime regulator said the move was aimed at safeguarding the safety, security and welfare of Indian seafarers amid continuing attacks on merchant vessels operating in the conflict-affected region.
(IANS)
