India reports new vessel incident off Oman as tanker catches fire, confirms 3 sailors dead in separate strike
India Thursday reported a fresh incident involving a vessel in waters off the coast of Oman, while confirming that three of its sailors were dead in an earlier strike.“We have learnt of an incident involving a vessel off Shinas port of Oman, earlier today (Thursday),” the Indian Embassy in Muscat wrote on US social media platform X.According to an X post by Muscat Daily, the local authorities "are responding to a fire reported on the tanker MT Jalveer near Shinas, Oman."The Indian diplomatic mission said it is “closely monitoring” the situation and “coordinating with the local authorities for further details.”UK Maritime Trade Operations also confirmed the latest incident, saying in a statement it "received a report of an incident 21NM northeast of Sohar, Oman.""Local authorities have reported a tanker has experienced a fire in the engine room. No environmental impact has been reported. Authorities continue to investigate," it added.It is the third such incident involving Indian vessels amid the US-Iran war this week.On Wednesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US forces disabled an oil tanker late Tuesday after the vessel allegedly violated a maritime blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran.India condemned the attack on the commercial vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman. At least 21 personnel were rescued, while three were missing and confirmed dead on Thursday.Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s shipping minister, said: "It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified."*Faisal Mahmud contributed to the story
