Indian authorities say search and rescue operations are continuing for an Indian seafarer who remains missing after a commercial vessel carrying 14 Indian nationals was involved in an incident off the coast of Oman.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said Tuesday that 13 of the 14 Indian crew members aboard the Panama-flagged vessel had been rescued with assistance from Omani authorities. One seafarer remains unaccounted for.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal thanked Oman for its assistance and said the Indian Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the search while coordinating with local authorities.
The vessel, identified as MT El Gaia, was involved in the incident on Sunday amid heightened tensions surrounding commercial shipping in the region. India has condemned attacks targeting merchant vessels, seafarers, civilians and civilian infrastructure and called for the restoration of safe navigation and commercial traffic through regional waterways.
New Delhi also renewed its appeal for an immediate de-escalation of regional tensions, emphasizing dialogue and diplomacy as the path toward restoring stability.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, meanwhile, offered a different account of what happened to the tanker. The IRGC Navy said El Gaia entered what it described as a prohibited route south of the Strait of Hormuz before striking naval mines, causing an explosion and fire that eventually engulfed the vessel.
According to the IRGC, warnings had previously been issued about using the route. It also maintained that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and under the control of Iranian naval forces.
The competing developments come amid growing concern over the security of commercial shipping through one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors.
For India, the immediate priority remains locating the missing seafarer and ensuring the safety of its nationals, while New Delhi continues to press for de-escalation and the restoration of safe commercial navigation in the region.
