A bomb-carrying drone boat struck an unmanned boat struck an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Monday killing an Indian mariner on board.
According to Oman’s Ministry of Defence, the tanker MKD VYOM was hit around 52 nautical miles offshore in an attack that triggered a fire and explosion in the vessel’s engine room. One crew member died in the incident, while the remaining 21 were safely evacuated.
Though officials did not initially confirm the victim’s nationality, local media and the Oman News Agency reported that the deceased was an Indian crew member.
According to the PTI reports, the evacuated crew members included 16 Indians, 4 Bangladeshis and one Ukrainian. They were rescued with assistance from a passing commercial vessel, while a ship from the Royal Navy of Oman continues to monitor the damaged tanker and issue navigational warnings in the area.
In their X post the Embassy of India in Oman stated that, “The Embassy is in close coordination with the local authorities in Oman to facilitate the safe and early repatriation of our nationals on board the vessel. We remain committed to extending all possible assistance in this matter.”
The Embassy of India expresses its deepest condolences on the tragic demise of an Indian national on board MKD Vyom.
The Embassy is in close coordination with the local authorities in Oman to facilitate the safe and early repatriation of our nationals on board the vessel.
We…
— India in Oman (Embassy of India, Muscat) (@Indemb_Muscat)
The tanker flagged to the Marshall Islands was carrying approximately 59463 metric tonnes of cargo at the time of the attack.
The incident comes amid maritime tension in the region. A day earlier another tanker, MV Skylight was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz injuring four crew members and two reported missing, including an Indian national, PTI reported.
The Indian Embassy in Oman said it is in constant contact with local authorities, assisting in search operations and coordinating the repatriation of rescued crew members.
