Ahmedabad Times

A hearth erupted on a Palau-flagged tanker with a crew of 24 Indians when it was attacked by the US Navy off the coast of Oman on Monday, and all crew members of the vessel sanctioned by the US had been later evacuated to security by the Oman Air Pressure.

The hearth was reported by the crew of MT Marivex, which was not carrying any cargo, at 1.30 pm, Opesh Kumar Sharma, director within the delivery ministry, informed a media briefing. “The vessel was properly out of the Strait of Hormuz, and properly clear to the south,” he mentioned, including that every one the crew members had been secure.

A number of hours later, the crew members had been evacuated by a helicopter of the Oman Air Pressure. The Indian embassy in Muscat thanked Omani authorities for rescuing all 24 Indian crew members in a social media put up.

An audio recording of a SOS message despatched by the crew of Marivex featured a crew member saying that the vessel was on hearth after a “US Navy assault by missile on our engine room”.

Folks acquainted with the matter mentioned on situation of anonymity Marivex had been black-listed and sanctioned by the Workplace of Overseas Property Management (OFAC), the monetary intelligence and enforcement company of the US treasury division. OFAC is the physique that acts in opposition to vessels concerned in violating US sanctions on the sale of Iranian and Russian oil.

“The vessel just isn’t Indian-owned. Over the previous few days, Marivex made 4 makes an attempt to evade the US blockade of Iranian ports,” one of many folks mentioned. “On three events, the vessel turned away after repeated warnings by the US Navy.”

The folks mentioned Marivex made a fourth try and get previous the US blockade by utilizing Oman’s territorial waters on Monday. The vessel switched off its sign gadgets in order that it may go undetected. ⁠This sample made it clear the vessel’s intentions weren’t “above board”, they mentioned.

The delivery ministry coordinated with the exterior affairs ministry, the Indian mission in Oman, the defence ministry and Indian Navy to make sure the security of the crew members.

In response to marinetraffic.com, a web site that tracks the motion of service provider vessels, Marivex was crusing from Karwar in Karnataka to Duqm in Oman.

The Ahead Seamen’s Union of India, one of many nation’s oldest organisations representing seafarers, mentioned in a social media put up that the “assault on a vessel carrying 24 Indian seafarers…is a matter of significant concern”. It added, “FSUI urges swift and coordinated motion to make sure the security of the crew, present help to their households, and uphold the safety of seafarers at sea.”

Oman is positioned adjoining to the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran for the reason that begin of a battle with Israel and the US in February. The assault on Marivex got here in opposition to the backdrop of a recent flare-up in hostilities between Israel and Iran since Sunday.

Ten Indians have died in West Asia for the reason that begin of the battle, together with three seafarers who had been killed in assaults on service provider vessels within the early days of the hostilities.