India confirms 3 sailors dead in US strike as new tanker fire hits Oman
New Delhi confirmed Thursday that three Indian sailors died in a US strike on a commercial vessel earlier this week, while authorities responded to a separate tanker fire off Oman's coast in the latest maritime incident involving Indian shipping.
India's diplomatic mission in Oman on Thursday reported a new maritime incident involving a tanker that caught fire near Shinas port, as New Delhi confirmed the deaths of three Indian sailors in a separate US strike on a commercial vessel earlier this week. The Indian Embassy in Muscat said on social media: "We have learnt of an incident involving a vessel off Shinas port of Oman, earlier today (Thursday)," adding that it was "closely monitoring" the situation and "coordinating with the local authorities for further details."
According to the local outlet Muscat Daily, authorities were responding to a fire on the tanker MT Jalveer. UK Maritime Trade Operations confirmed the incident in a statement, saying it "received a report of an incident 21NM northeast of Sohar, Oman." The agency noted that "Local authorities have reported a tanker has experienced a fire in the engine room. No environmental impact has been reported. Authorities continue to investigate," adding that the vessel remained under investigation.
US strike kills three Indians
The confirmation of the sailors' deaths followed India's condemnation of the US attack on the Palau-flagged MT Settebello, which Washington said its forces disabled late Tuesday for allegedly violating a maritime blockade while transporting oil from Iran. At least 21 personnel were rescued from the vessel, though three Indian seafarers remained missing until their bodies were located and identified on Thursday.
Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said in a statement: "It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified." US Central Command said its forces targeted the Settebello after the vessel attempted to breach the blockade, while the attack marked the third such incident involving Indian vessels this week amid the ongoing war between Washington and Tehran.
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