By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: Twenty-four Indian seafarers were rescued off the coast of Oman on Monday after a U.S. military strike damaged the oil tanker Marivex, sanctioned by the U.S. for Iran links, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel.
The Palau-flagged tanker caught fire after what U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) described as a precision strike targeting the vessel’s engineering and steering spaces in the Gulf of Oman.
In a statement, CENTCOM said U.S. forces acted after the tanker allegedly violated an ongoing blockade against Iran by attempting to sail to an Iranian port. It said an F/A-18 Super Hornet operating from the USS Abraham Lincoln fired a precision munition after the crew failed to comply with directions from U.S. forces.
Distress messages sent by crew members to the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) claimed the vessel’s engine room had been struck by a missile, triggering a fire and causing severe damage to the ship. The crew reported that part of the vessel had been breached and that some lifeboats were rendered unusable by the attack and subsequent blaze.
The Indian Coast Guard said the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbai received information about the incident at around 2:20 p.m on June 8. after being alerted by a relative of one of the sailors onboard. MRCC Mumbai subsequently coordinated with the Oman Maritime Search and Rescue Centre to facilitate rescue operations.
The crew had moved to the forward section of the tanker as fire engulfed the stern of the vessel. All 24 Indian seafarers were later evacuated by helicopter and taken to Masirah Island in Oman.
FSUI General Secretary Manoj Yadav said the sailors were safe but remained in a state of shock following the incident. He added that many had lost their mobile phones during the evacuation and were expected to return to India within the next two days.
Earlier, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways confirmed that a fire had broken out aboard Marivex at around 1.30 p.m. off the coast of Oman. Ministry official Opesh Kumar Sharma said all 24 Indian crew members were safe and noted that the tanker was empty at the time of the incident and operating away from the Strait of Hormuz.
Shipping databases identify Marivex as a vessel sanctioned by the United States in December last year over alleged links to Iran. The tanker had previously transported oil from Bandar Abbas in Iran and had been operating in waters considered part of the wider regional conflict zone.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre has classified the incident as a case of “suspicious activity” as investigations into the attack continue.