Dozens of Indian-flagged ships and over a thousand seafarers are stranded in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and surrounding areas due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amidst ongoing military actions involving the US, Israel, and Iran.
18 Indian-flagged vessels with 485 Indian seafarers still remain in the western Persian Gulf region
An Indian-flagged crude tanker safely departed from the UAE's Fujairah after loading oil, despite an attack on the oil terminal. The Indian government is closely monitoring the situation in West Asia to ensure stable fuel supplies and maritime safety.
Around one full month of supply is firmly arranged with additional procurement being continuously finalised, and oil companies are successfully delivering over 5 million cylinders every day.
The tanker reportedly switched off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder while navigating the high-risk stretch of the strait and reappeared on tracking systems on March 9.
IRGC said vessels seeking to sail through the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz must obtain Iran's approval; otherwise, they could become targets of Iranian attacks.
'We are getting used to the constant alerts to take shelter, listening to sonic booms from jets flying above us, hearing news of neighbouring ports being targeted, and being the only ship in the terminal.'
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the Rajya Sabha on India's position regarding the escalating conflict in West Asia, emphasising the need for peace, dialogue, and the safety of civilians, while also prioritising India's energy security and trade interests.
The missing seafarer has been identified as Sarthak Mahapatra, a native of Kespur in Bhadrak district.
With the Iran war escalating sharply and crisis deepening in the global energy market, India on Monday unveiled a coordinated plan to support exporters and shippers caught in the fallout.
In a strategic move to boost offshore energy exploration and operational efficiency, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) and Reliance Industries Ltd have signed an agreement to share resources such as supply vessels used in finding and producing oil and gas.
Incidents in the maritime sector involving Indian seafarers, and foreign vessels in Indian waters rose by 21.6 per cent in 2024 to 186, highlighting the need to strengthen safety frameworks.
According to a situation report issued by the DGS, the oil containment measures have temporarily stabilised the situation, but full risk mitigation will happen only on successful commencement of saturation diving to extract the remaining trapped fuel oil from the vessel, MSC Elsa 3.
Of the 22 crew members on board the ship, MV Wan Hai 503, 18 have abandoned the vessel and are being rescued by Indian Navy and Coast Guard assets, he said.
The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KPCB) is on high alert after a Liberian vessel carrying hazardous cargo sank off the Kerala coast. While no calcium carbide containers have washed ashore yet, a thin layer of oil spill has been detected. The KPCB is working to contain the spill and prevent it from reaching the shore, but rough conditions at sea have hampered efforts to spray dispersants. The board is also taking steps to prevent the oil from reaching the Ashtamudi and Vembanad lakes.
Pakistan has banned Indian-flagged ships from entering its ports with immediate effect after India imposed fresh punitive measures, including a ban on the import of goods and entry of Pakistani vessels into its ports, against Islamabad amid heightened tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack. The move comes after India announced a raft of punitive measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting down of the only operational land border crossing at Attari, and downgrading of diplomatic ties following the terror attack. The Pakistan Army has also conducted a successful training launch of the Abdali Weapon System, a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 km, saying it was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters. India considers the test launch of the ballistic missile a "blatant" act of "provocation."
Main imports from the neighbouring country during April-January 2024-25 included fruits and nuts (USD 0.08 million), certain oil seeds and medicinal plants (USD 0.26 million), and organic chemicals.
Pakistan military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry told a hurriedly called press conference in Islamabad at around 4 am that th Pakistan air force's Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal) and Rafiqui (Shorkot in Jhang district) airbases were targeted.
'If attacks escalate, there is a risk the Suez Canal may be closed.'
'Due to the Israel-Hamas conflict, a faction operating in the Red Sea -- which is a typically safe area - has been firing projectiles arbitrarily.' 'Additionally, there have been two incidents involving Somali pirates, and one vessel has been hijacked.'
Twenty one Indian sailors aboard the ship MV Fairchem Bogey, which was hijacked last August, have been released by the pirates, the Directorate General of Shipping said on Saturday. This is the second piece of good news for the Indian seafaring community within a fortnight. Seventeen sailors from a hijacked Iranian ship had been released late in December. "All the 21 sailors are safe and the ship is now on its way to a safe port," said Director General of Shipping.
The Mumbai police have recovered the body of a sailor after the barge in which he was sailing sunk near Mumbai coast. "Identification of the body is in progress," the Directorate General of Shipping said.
In 2014, INS Vikrant was dismantled in Mumbai.
The government will chart out a plan for the evacuation of seafarers stuck on international waters amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Union Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya has said. Thousands of Indian seafarers are currently stuck aboard cruise ships and cargo vessels in far off waters, and maritime bodies have been demanding from the government strategies for bringing them home fearing that delays might result in disruption in supply chain.
Five sailors were killed and one was injured due to inhaling of some poisonous gas on board a Varun Shipping-owned LPG carrier off the Gujarat coast on Monday morning.
Suspected Somali pirates on Tuesday hijacked an Italian cargo vessel with 18 crew, including seven Indian seafarers, off the coast of Oman.
It looks unlikely that a proper plan was in place or else the deaths could have been averted, reports Jyoti Mukul.
The arrival of Egyptian cargo vessel M V Suez, which was released by Somali pirates after ten months of captivity, has been delayed at the Omanese port of Salalah due to insufficient fuel, the directorate general of shipping said on Saturday.
An oil tanker with 21 Indian crew members on board was hijacked on Saturday off the coast of Oman, Directorate General of Shipping said in Mumbai.
A fortnight after the 999-tonne oil tanker MT Pavit had run aground at the popular Juhu beach in Mumbai, it was on Monday hauled away into the sea during a salvage operation. A specialised salvage company hired for the operation carried out the removal of sand around the grounded vessel and took into the waters. "The vessel was turned towards the sea and was towed into deep waters. It would be taken to a safe port soon," said Director-General of Shipping Satish Agnihotri.
Ending a six-month ordeal, the crew of nine Indian and 12 Iranian sailors of cargo ship MV Sinin was freed on Saturday by Somali pirates. "Nine Indian sailors along with 12 Iranians of M V Sinin have been released by the pirates today. All of them are safe," said Director General of Shipping S B Agnihotri. The Somali pirates had on February 12 seized the Malta-flagged, 52,000 tonne bulk carrier 315 nautical miles off Masirah (Oman) while it was on its way to Singapore.
The Indian Navy rescued 26 people, including 11 Indians on-board a sinking merchant vessel with the help of an Italian warship after they were released by Somali pirates following a ransom payment. After being in captivity in Somalia since April last year, MV RAK Africana, a ship owned by captain Ajay Kotwal, could not sail out of the Somali coast on March 9 because of engine problems, Navy officials said.
Using rocket launchers and submachine guns, suspected Somali pirates abducted 17 Indian and five Italian sailors after hijacking a large Italian-flagged oil tanker in the Indian Ocean.
The crew of an Egyptian freighter including six Indians, released by Somali pirates on Monday, came under renewed attack by the sea brigands on Wednesday as they sailed in the pirate-infested Somali waters on way to a port in Oman. However, there was no report of any casualty. While the 22-member crew of MV Suez faced the threat of being retaken, the Directorate General of Shipping said the Indian Navy is coordinating with other navies for the safe passage of the ship.
The Indian crew members, who were onboard the Ship M V Victoria, which was hijacked on May 17 near the Somalia coast by heavily armed pirates, have been released, the Directorate General of Shipping on Friday said.
In a response to the recent Mumbai terror attacks, the Union shipping ministry is planning to develop a low-cost satellite to monitor ships and vessels operating in the Indian waters. The ministry has initiated talks with the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to develop the satellite.
Relatives of one of the sailors claimed that pirates had initially demanded $15 lakh and later raised it to $25 lakh for the release of the crew but it was not clear whether the ransom was paid or not.
Seven Indians, who were on board a hijacked Hong Kong-registered ship MV Delight, were safe after Somalian pirates released the vessel, the Directorate General of Shipping said in Mumbai on Sunday.The pirates released the vessel and 25 crew members onboard on Friday night, it said in a statement.MV Delight, chartered by Iran, was hijacked from the Gulf of Aden on November 18.
The Directorate General of Shipping on Saturday said that contact with the hijacked vessel, MV Delight, had been established and the Indian crew on board was 'safe and in good health'.Iranian ship MV Delight with seven Indian sailors on board was hijacked by Somali pirates on November 18. Delight, which bears a Hong Kong flag, was carrying 38,000 tonnes of wheat and had 18 crew members, apart from the Indian crew, on board when it was hijacked near the Gulf of Eden.
Armed Somalian pirates on Friday released three Indians and 26 other members of the crew on board a hijacked cargo ship after keeping them in captivity for more than one and half months.
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