All 24 Indian crew rescued from tanker set ablaze off Oman
All 24 Indian crew members of a tanker that caught fire and reported sinking after a US strike off the Gulf of Oman have been rescued. The Indian Navy and Oman Coast Guard completed a successfully coordinated operation.
An unladen tanker flagged in the United Arab Emirates caught fire and was reported sinking after a strike attributed to the US military in the eastern Gulf of Oman. Captain Lakshmi Singh said in a distress call: "The engine room is fully ablaze, we are evacuating immediately". All 24 Indian crew were rescued by a nearby container vessel and placed under medical observation in Muscat.
Oman Coast Guard Commander Khalifa al-Hosni said the rescue lasted two hours and that the area lies within the Iran-UAE shared maritime-access corridor. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strike was "aimed at stopping a ballistic-missile loading operation threatening navigation in the Strait of Hormuz". Iran's foreign ministry called the strike "an unacceptable act of aggression".
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed "all 24 of our citizens are safe". The International Maritime Organization issued an additional safety advisory for vessel traffic in the area immediately after the incident. Brent crude rose towards $80 a barrel after the news; tanker insurance premiums climbed 12%. This is not investment advice.
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