Key facts
- India is prepared to increase seafarer repatriation efforts if required.
- Over 3,537 Indian seafarers have been safely repatriated so far.
- Three Indian crew members died following an attack on the MT SETTEBELLO.
- 21 Indian crew members were safely evacuated from the MT SETTEBELLO.
- Two attacked vessels are under U.S. sanctions.
- A separate incident involved the MT JALVEER with 20 Indian seafarers, all reported safe.
India is prepared to increase its efforts to repatriate seafarers from the West Asia region if the need arises, according to Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. He stated that the extent of repatriation would depend on the willingness of seafarers to return.
Mangal noted that there are currently 13 Indian-flagged vessels in the region with 562 Indian seafarers onboard, and approximately 18,000 Indian seafarers are in West Asia overall, with about 3.2 lakh globally.
The Ministry, through the Directorate General of Shipping, has already facilitated the safe repatriation of over 3,537 Indian seafarers, including 31 in the past 72 hours from various locations in the Gulf region.
The ministry also detailed recent maritime security incidents. A fire was reported on the Palau-flagged vessel MT MARIVEX near the Omani coast, with its 24 Indian crew members safely rescued by the Omani Air Force on June 8. Subsequently, on June 10, the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT SETTEBELLO was attacked. Of the 28 crew members onboard (24 Indian, 2 Pakistani, 1 Russian, 1 Ukrainian), three Indian crew members lost their lives. The remaining 25 crew, including 21 Indians, were safely evacuated.
Officials indicated that two of the attacked vessels were subject to sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), while a third was classified as a non-compliant ship. Additionally, the Guinea-Bissau flagged vessel MT JALVEER, with 20 Indian seafarers, was involved in a maritime security incident near Shinas Port, Oman, with all crew reported safe.