Five Indian nationals aboard a Kuwait -flagged tanker were rescued and brought ashore after the vessel was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz , the Indian embassy in Oman said on Friday (local time).
“At this point, we have six India-flagged commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf. We also have six foreign-flagged vessels which are carrying cargo to India. External affairs minister S Jaishankar also flagged concerns over attacks on commercial ships and their crew during his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last week.
All 5 Indian nationals have been shifted ashore safely,” it said in the statement. Ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Tuesday that more than 4,500 Indian seafarers are currently working aboard commercial vessels in the region. This includes 163 Indian seafarers on 12 active cargo ships. So 12 ships are there. On these ships, we have around 163 Indian seafarers who are on board,” he said during a media briefing. Jaishankar also said India had joined Liberia and 23 other partner nations to build international support for the protection of commercial shipping routes.
The vessel, a crude oil tanker sailing under the Kuwaiti flag, was headed towards the port of Lome in Togo, according to shipping data available online. Jaiswal said the ministry of shipping was working with Indian diplomatic missions and local stakeholders to track vessel movements and monitor the safety of Indian seafarers. “Earlier today, the Mission coordinated rescue of five Indian nationals on board the Kuwait-flagged tanker MT Kazimah III, struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz.
