Entire crew, including six Indian seafarers, safe after Marshall Islands-flagged LNG carrier struck in Persian Gulf: Sonowal

A Marshall Islands-flagged LNG carrier M/T Al Mayeda, carrying six Indian seafarers, was struck by a projectile in the Persian Gulf on Friday amid the conflict in West Asia. Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that the entire crew of 25 members was safe.

A Marshall Islands-flagged LNG carrier M/T Al Mayeda, carrying six Indian seafarers, was struck by a projectile in the Persian Gulf on Friday amid the conflict in West Asia. Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that the entire crew of 25 members was safe. In an X post on Saturday, Sonowal said that India is monitoring the situation and remains in contact with the ship management company.

“On Oct 30, Marshall Islands-flagged LNG carrier M/T AL MAYEDA, carrying 6 Indian seafarers, was targeted in a projectile attack in the Persian Gulf. All 6 Indian nationals, along with the entire 25-member crew, are completely safe. We are continuously monitoring the situation and remain in close contact with the ship management company to ensure the ongoing security and wellbeing of our seafarers,” the post read. On Friday, Sonowal confirmed that all 29 Indian crew members aboard two tankers struck in separate incidents on October 29 and 30 remained unharmed, with no casualties reported.

Earlier, Panama-flagged oil tanker MT LOUISE 1, carrying 27 Indian seafarers, sustained damage from limpet mines inside the Strait of Hormuz, representing the first confirmed deployment of such explosives against a vessel in that zone since the commencement of the US-Iran war in February. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, 22 Indian nationals, including 14 seafarers, have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday highlighted grave concerns regarding repeated attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers during the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, emphasising the critical imperative to protect freedom of navigation. In a message shared on X, Jaishankar noted that nations within the Global South were disproportionately suffering the impacts of Middle Eastern hostilities, which placed the availability and pricing of fuel, food and fertilisers under severe threat.

"The Global South is disproportionately bearing the consequences of attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers, jeopardising the availability and cost of fuel, food and fertilisers," Jaishankar stated. (ANI)