India confirms sailor’s death after vessel struck off Oman
An unidentified aerial object hit the Indian-flagged Al Jusufi near Oman on 2 November, according to Indian officials. One crew member died and Oman’s coast guard rescued the other 13. New Delhi is arranging assistance and repatriation, while condemning attacks on commercial shipping and calling for regional de-escalation.
Geopolitics··Night
One death, thirteen rescued
India said on 3 November that an Indian crew member had died after the commercial vessel Al Jusufi was struck near Oman’s coast the previous day. Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal described the object that hit the Indian-flagged vessel as an unidentified aerial object. There were 14 Indian nationals aboard. According to the minister, 13 evacuated the vessel and were rescued by Oman’s coast guard; one died from injuries sustained in the incident. India’s Foreign Ministry separately confirmed the death and rescue figures, and placed the attack near Limah, a coastal settlement in Oman.[1], [2]
Assistance and return arrangements
Sonowal said the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and India’s embassy in Oman were in contact with local authorities to provide immediate assistance. Their work covered the 13 survivors and arrangements to bring both them and the deceased crew member’s remains back to India. The minister offered condolences to the sailor’s family. The embassy was monitoring developments and coordinating with Omani officials on the return arrangements. Indian authorities’ statements distinguished the completed coast guard rescue from the subsequent assistance and repatriation work being organised after the vessel was hit.[1]
New Delhi condemns vessel attacks
India’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on the commercial vessel and expressed concern about continuing attacks on merchant shipping. It called for an immediate reduction in regional tensions and urged parties involved in ongoing negotiations to seek a diplomatic settlement. The ministry also said attacks on civilian infrastructure and commercial vessels should stop. Its statement called for navigation and trade through international waterways to proceed freely under international law. The condemnation accompanied the announcement of the Indian casualty; it did not identify who had launched the object that hit Al Jusufi or establish what kind of weapon was involved.[1]
India has a substantial workforce aboard merchant fleets. A maritime workforce report cited by The New Indian Express put the country’s maritime workforce at 311,936 people, or 12.16 percent of the global total. India and Liberia launched a 25-nation group at the United Nations General Assembly in September to address shipping and seafarer safety.[1]
