India condemns attack on ship off Oman as seafarer remains missing; 13 Indian crew members rescued

Thirteen other Indian seafarers who were part of the crew of MT El Gaia were rescued following the attack off the coast of Oman

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India on Sunday condemned an attack on a Panama-flagged oil tanker that resulted in one Indian seafarer being reported missing, and said the targeting of merchant shipping and civilian infrastructure is unacceptable.

Thirteen other Indian seafarers who were part of the crew of MT El Gaia were rescued following the attack off the coast of Oman, the external affairs ministry said.

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The attack came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed creating a “Seafarers' Emergency Support Network” at the Brics Summit to safeguard mariners facing heightened risks due to regional conflicts. Ten Indian seafarers are among 16 Indians killed so far in the West Asia conflict, while another five Indian seafarers have died in strikes on merchant vessels in the Black Sea.

“We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel MT El Gaia off the coast of Oman earlier today. Of the 14 Indian crew onboard, 13 Indians have been rescued so far,” the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

“Search and rescue operations for the missing Indian national are continuing. Our embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing search and rescue operation,” it said.

The Indian side thanked Omani authorities for their support in rescuing the Indian seafarers.

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“We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation of tensions and pursuance of dialogue and diplomacy to bring peace to the region,” the statement said. “The targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers, civilians, and civilian infrastructure in the region is unacceptable.”

The Indian side also called for the restoration of free and safe navigation and flow of commerce through international waterways in the region at the earliest.

Indian seafarers make up more than 12% of the global merchant shipping workforce, second only to Philippine nationals. India contributes almost 312,000 of the global total of 2.57 million seafarers.

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