22 Indians evacuated as drone strikes Panama-flagged tanker off Sharjah

Sarbananda Sonowal says all 22 Indian crew on the Panama-flagged tanker MT GEM NO. 2 are safe after a drone attack at Sharjah Anchorage on 9 October.

2 min readOct 10, 2026 09:41 AM IST First published on: Oct 10, 2026 at 09:31 AM IST

Indian crew of 22 safe after drone attack on Panama-flagged oil tanker at Sharjah Anchorage: Sonowal. (Representational/ File Photo)

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Saturday, 10 October, that all 22 Indian seafarers on the Panama-flagged crude oil tanker MT GEM NO. 2 are safe.

The vessel was hit in a drone attack at Sharjah Anchorage on 9 October. Sonowal, who is the Shipping Minister, shared the update in a post on X.

He said the government is “continuously monitoring the situation” and is in touch with the ship’s management company. The aim, he said, is to keep the Indian crew secure and well. He did not give details on who carried out the attack or on any damage to the vessel.

MT GEM NO. 2 is a crude oil tanker registered in Panama. It had 22 Indian nationals on board as crew when it came under attack by a drone at Sharjah Anchorage on 9 October. The minister said all of them are safe.

In his post on X, Sonowal said officials are tracking the situation and are in contact with the ship management company, PTI said. He said the purpose is to ensure the security and wellbeing of the Indian seafarers on board.

⚠️ IMPORTANT UPDATE ⚠️ On Oct 9, Panama-flagged crude oil tanker MT GEM NO. 2, carrying a crew of 22 Indian nationals, was subjected to a drone attack at Sharjah Anchorage. I am relieved to share that all 22 of our Indian seafarers onboard are reported to be completely safe. We are continuously monitoring the situation and in contact with the ship management company to ensure security and wellbeing of our seafarers.

— Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) October 9, 2026

Sharjah Anchorage is in the Arabian Gulf, in the Dubai area of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to MarineTraffic.

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