LONDON — A day after three Indian sailors were killed in a US strike on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, about 20 Indian crew members were rescued on Thursday from another burning ship off the coast of Oman, Indian authorities said.
The Embassy of India in Oman has said MT Jalveer, an asphalt tanker, has been involved in an incident and Indian sailors were being evacuated in coordination with the Omani navy.
While the embassy did not go into the specifics, visuals showGuinea-Bissau flagged vessel burning, with smoke bellowing from the ship.
India’s shipping ministry said all 20 Indian crew members were safe after the suspected US strike on the asphalt tanker Jalveer on Thursday.
The Guinea-Bissau flagged Jalveer sent a distress call while off Oman’s port of Shinas after a fire broke out around its engine room and funnel, British maritime risk management company Vanguard said.
The ship was attacked by the US Navy, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters.
If confirmed, it would be the third Indian-crewed tanker hit by US forces this week after the Marivex oil tanker was disabled using precision munitions on Monday.
The incident involving MT Jalveer comes shortly after the US military attacked a Palau-flagged ship Settebello and killed three Indian sailors.
Following the latest rounds of strikes and counter-strikes, Iran declared a complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Previously, both the sides had notionally maintained that their blockades were conditional even if they were effectively blanket closure.
The United States maintained that only Iranian ports were blockaded whereas Iran maintained that ships belonging to the United States, Israel, and any allies were barred from passing.
Centcom said on Wednesday US forces enforcing the blockade had disabled eight non-compliant vessels, redirected 134 others, and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass since the blockade began.
Source: Saudi Gazette