Ahmedabad Times

 

That they had been again in India for lower than 24 hours — and it had taken sixteen days to get right here. The hearth that adopted the missile assault on their vessel on March 1 within the Strait of Hormuz had destroyed their passports, visas and id paperwork, leaving them stranded at a visitor room in Khasab Airport in Oman till emergency outpasses had been organized.

Younger males from Rajasthan, Haryana, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry, many of their twenties and on their first task at sea, that they had landed in Mumbai on March 18 round 12.30 pm. They got here again with virtually nothing. No luggage, no paperwork, no suitcases. A number of carried fabric luggage with an additional pair of garments given by the company in Oman. Their salaries had been credited, however with out telephones or ATM playing cards, they may not entry their cash. Among the many eight, solely three had working telephones, handed round for transient, shared calls dwelling.

From the airport they had been taken to a delivery workplace in Vashi to finish formalities, together with signing paperwork they are saying they refused as a result of they didn’t totally perceive them. By night they had been dropped in Belapur with out readability on lodging. Meals too has been unsure — with an ongoing LPG disaster affecting eateries, they struggled to search out one thing as fundamental as roti.

On March 20, they took native trains to the Directorate Common of Transport workplace in Kanjurmarg, the place they recorded their statements for 3 hours. Afterwards, the delivery company advised them to ebook their very own tickets dwelling, with a promise of reimbursement.

They’re eight younger males who survived a near-death expertise 1000’s of miles away in a conflict that they had no half in, now making their manner again in fragments, throughout the nation. These are their tales:

Abdur Rahaman Mondal (27)

Abdur Rahaman Mondal, 27, ready seaman, Mirjapur village, Nadia district, West Bengal

For Abdur, being alive and going dwelling on Eid looks like a second beginning. The primary in his household to journey overseas, he ready for the defence providers after his BA second 12 months however couldn’t get by means of, got here to Mumbai for a six-month course, and joined crusing in 2024. After his midnight-to-6am shift on March 1, he was quick asleep when the ship jolted. “Cabinet, mattress, every part moved violently and I used to be thrown up and about. Inside 5 seconds, one other jolt, blackout, smoke, doorways banging.” The missile had hit slightly below the lodging space. Dalip, his fellow crew member who stays lacking, was within the subsequent room, utterly on hearth. “I screamed out his identify however bought no response.” After 45 minutes on a burning ship, they jumped into the ocean and had been rescued by an Omani army boat. His household has barred him without end from crusing. He’s the one one among the many eight who disagrees. “One dangerous expertise can’t outline my whole life.”

Bhumesh (23)

Bhumesh, 23, ready seaman, Chhithroli village, Mahendragarh district, Haryana

Bhumesh was on the bridge on his morning shift, the navigation space the place telephones will not be allowed, monitoring the VHF radio. He had been selecting up information of assaults in Dubai, the place the Skylight had beforehand been docked. “I believed we had been so fortunate to have moved from Dubai and parked within the Strait of Hormuz.” Inside seconds of that thought, the primary missile hit the engine room. “I used to be thrown at a distance, hit my head and my again. Earlier than I might collect myself, inside 5 seconds there was one other assault and I used to be thrown in the wrong way.” Crew members threw a rope from the escape door and helped him climb down. “We screamed for Dalip and the captain, however the lodging and engine room had been utterly on hearth. We needed to soar into the water to outlive.” A farmer’s son, he won’t go away his household once more. “The most costly factor I misplaced are my paperwork. I don’t know the way lengthy it is going to take to restart life from scratch.”

Eight males, crowded right into a paying visitor lodging in Belapur, Navi Mumbai, that that they had discovered themselves at 9.30 at evening, after hours of looking out.

Sunil Puniya (26)

Sunil Puniya, 26, oiler, Bamna Kalan village, Rajasthan

Sunil can’t wait to get dwelling. His youthful daughter turned one on March 5, whereas he was stranded in Oman. His elder daughter turns 4 on March 24. He has missed one birthday and is racing to make the opposite. “I can’t wait to hug them tight, rejoice their birthdays, eat sizzling rotis and sabji with a great deal of ghee made by my mom and spouse.” He’s but to get his practice tickets confirmed. This was his first crusing job, one he had paid an agent lakhs to safe, cash he doesn’t count on to see once more. Earlier than this, he had labored in attire manufacturing models in Gujarat and Maharashtra. “This job was our hope to tug us out of poverty and an opportunity at a greater life. But it surely’s okay, I’m alive and there’s no value for that.” He was on his shift when the assault occurred. Just like the others, he misplaced every part, laptop computer, iPhone and paperwork value over Rs 2 lakh. He won’t ever sail once more.

Pagalavan Haridas (30)

Pagalavan Haridas, 30, third engineer, Puducherry

Haridas has sailed 4 ships earlier than, however nothing ready him for March 1. “By no means in my wildest desires had I believed I might encounter such an expertise on this life,” he stated. Severely injured in his again, legs and fingers, he was hospitalised for 3 days after the assault. In these moments on the burning ship, his thoughts went dwelling. “I don’t need to take into consideration something proper now. Life is so fragile. We have now seen loss of life from so shut. I believed I might die that morning. Visuals of my father along with his fishing internet within the sea, my mom making dosa for us… I believed I had died.” Earlier than crusing, he labored in vehicle workshops as a mechanic. Now he says he would possibly return to that, or grow to be a fisherman like his father. Both manner, he’s finished with delivery. “I may even work in a workshop, however I might by no means come again to delivery.” He desires, greater than something, a easy life along with his family members.

Pramod Kumar Yadav (38)

Pramod Kumar Yadav, 38, chief engineer, Alwar, Rajasthan

Pramod’s left leg remains to be bandaged. He can’t put on footwear on it. He’s the oldest among the many eight and probably the most senior in rank, however on March 1, rank meant nothing. “The port authority had advised us to go to the Bravo anchorage for cleansing, which falls underneath the Strait of Hormuz. If we’d have stayed at Alpha anchorage, the place different fishing ships and cruise ships had been parked, then possibly we wouldn’t have confronted the assault in any respect.” He thinks usually in regards to the captain and Dalip. “The captain and Dalip had been very nice individuals. I want we had an opportunity to get to know one another higher.” The evening earlier than the assault, the crew had eaten collectively, rooster, rice, dal and curry. That was the final meal they shared. “I simply need to be dwelling with my household.” His practice tickets are confirmed. Of all eight, he’s closest to leaving.

Srinu Donkani (23)

Srinu Donkani, 23, oiler, Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

Srinu exhibits his fingers and abdomen as he speaks. Giant minimize marks, pores and skin nonetheless swollen, tender to the contact. “My accidents are nonetheless seen. They harm if one thing touches or brushes them. I fell and tripped a number of occasions attempting to flee the hearth and falling objects.” He was resting in his room when the assault occurred, his shift having simply ended. He was hospitalised for 3 days after the assault. The bodily ache has been changed, or joined, by one thing more durable to deal with. “My physique ached and I nonetheless can’t sleep because the distressing visuals hang-out me.” This was his second time crusing. An solely youngster of day by day wage staff in Vishakhapatnam, he had boarded the Skylight with massive desires, hoping to earn sufficient to tug his dad and mom out of poverty. These desires haven’t survived the hearth. He doesn’t need to return to any type of ship.

Kaushal Sorout (27)

Kaushal Sorout, 27, Hodal, Haryana

When Kaushal jumped into the ocean, he thought he would die. “I don’t know tips on how to swim, like lots of the different crew members. Despite the fact that I used to be carrying a life jacket, I believed I might drown.” His slippers, his cellphone, every part went with him into the ocean. They had been rescued by the Omani military in a speedboat. It was his second time crusing. Earlier than leaping, he had knocked on Abdur’s door to wake him. “Nothing appears as harmful as seeing a conflict the place missiles are launched on individuals and ships instantly. It’s bone-chilling. I nonetheless have nightmares of that morning.” The one youngster of farmer dad and mom in Hodal, Kaushal says working overseas had introduced delight to his household. “They have no idea the exhausting work it entails and the distressing moments when the climate is dangerous.” That delight has now given solution to aid at being alive. He’ll take up any odd job when he will get dwelling. He won’t sail once more.

Bikram Ghosh (23)

Bikram Ghosh, 23, chief cook dinner, Tikarkhanji village, Katwa, Purba Bardhaman district, West Bengal

Bikram is the explanation the opposite seven have been in a position to survive these previous two days in Mumbai. The one one among the many group with a working cellphone and entry to cell banking, he has been quietly paying for every part since they landed, the paying visitor lodging, toothbrushes, cleaning soap, meals, the smallest of day by day necessities. The delivery agent has promised to reimburse him. This was his fourth time crusing. He had been on the Skylight for six months, becoming a member of from Khorfakkan port in UAE on October 18, 2025. After finishing discharging in Iraq, the vessel had waited at Dubai anchorage for over 20 days earlier than shifting to Bravo anchorage in Oman for cargo cleansing, with twelve Iranian crew introduced in for the work. “The vessel was parked there from February 22 to March 1.” It was at that anchorage, within the Strait of Hormuz, that the missile struck. After the assault, he didn’t inform his father, who works in a grocery retailer, what had actually occurred, saying solely that the ship was not crusing and he was resting.