An Indian-flagged cargo vessel carrying 14 Indian seafarers was attacked by an unidentified aerial object off the coast of Oman on Monday, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said. One crew member died from his injuries, while the remaining 13 seafarers were safely evacuated and rescued by the Omani Coast Guard.
The deceased has been identified as Gandhar Nahim Ajij, a native of Gujarat. The vessel, identified as MSV AL JUSUFI, was navigating near the Omani coast when it was struck.
In a post on X, Sonowal said: “The Indian MSV AL JUSUFI, carrying 14 Indian seafarers, was struck by an unidentified aerial object while navigating near the coast of Oman. While 13 crew members safely evacuated and were rescued by the Omani Coast Guard,”
The minister confirmed that one of the seafarers succumbed to his injuries.