Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has informed that all 24 Indian seafarers aboard two vessels involved in separate incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and Romania are safe, with no casualties or injuries reported.

 

In a social media post yesterday, Mr Sonowal said crude oil tanker MT ST 3, carrying 15 Indian seafarers, was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on October 15, while chemical tanker YARA J, carrying nine Indian seafarers, was hit by a drone at Sulina Anchorage in Romania on October 14. He said the government is closely monitoring both incidents and coordinating with ship management companies to ensure the safety of the crew members.

 

Earlier, India strongly condemned attacks on maritime navigation and commercial shipping amid escalating tensions in West Asia. Addressing the UN Security Council’s debate on the Middle East, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, called for immediate de-escalation and urged all parties to resolve the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.