2 Indian Seafarers Confirmed Dead After Tanker Hit in US Strike; At Least 5 Indian Seafarers Killed Since West Asia War Began

New Delhi: Two of the three Indian seafarers who went missing after the oil tanker Settebello was hit in a suspected US military strike off the coast of Oman have been confirmed dead, the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) said on Thursday.

One Indian crew member, identified as the vessel’s chief engineer, remains missing, while 21 other Indian crew members were rescued. With these deaths, the number of Indian seafarers killed since the West Asia war started has reportedly risen to at least five.

The casualties have occurred during attacks on foreign-flagged commercial vessels operating near the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.

Reportedly, at least 10 Indian nationals have been killed and several others injured across the Middle East since the war began. The casualties have occurred in a range of incidents, including military strikes and attacks on commercial shipping routes in the region.

The Middle East is home to an estimated 10 million Indians living and working across various countries.

Earlier on Wednesday, India strongly condemned the attack on the commercial vessel Settebello, a Palau-flagged oil products tanker carrying 24 Indian crew members, and said authorities were working closely with Omani officials to trace the missing nationals.

“We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman, earlier today. Of the 24 Indian crew onboard, 21 Indians have been rescued thus far and 03 Indians are reportedly missing,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in a statement.