An Indian sailor who went missing after a commercial vessel was attacked off the coast of Oman has died, Reuters quoted his father-in-law as saying on Wednesday.
The body of Heramb Karmarkar, a 30-year-old marine engineer from Pune, has been recovered, a member of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India told AFP on Wednesday. “This was almost 60 hours after we first received news that he was missing,” the member, Manoj Yadav, was quoted as saying.
The Indian government has not confirmed the death.
On Sunday, the Ministry of External Affairs said that one Indian seafarer was missing and 10 were rescued after the commercial vessel GFS Galaxy was attacked off the coast of Oman.
The vessel had been disabled after a fire damaged its engine room. The United States had accused Iran of carrying out the attack.
The incident came amid a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions between the US and Iran escalated again.
On Tuesday, one Indian sailor was killed and six others were injured after Iran attacked two ships in the Strait of Hormuz. It was unclear when the attacks took place.
Following the strike, India summoned an Iranian diplomat on Tuesday to register a “strong protest” about the death of the Indian sailor and the injuries sustained by others.
The Union government also announced that it would establish a dashboard to track every Indian seafarer on vessels operating in the conflict-hit Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
The Indian external affairs ministry had said on Sunday that continued attacks on commercial shipping in West Asia were “deeply worrisome”. It called for the de-escalation of tensions and for the “conclusion of ongoing negotiations for a diplomatic solution so that peace and stability can return to the region”.
Since the war in West Asia broke out on February 28, at least five Indian seafarers have died. There have been 29 incidents of attacks on vessels carrying Indian seafarers, The Indian Express reported.
Edited by Sneha.
You’ve read Scroll.
Now help sustain it
Scroll is funded by readers, not corporate owners. If you believe our work matters, support our newsroom. Become a member today!
We’re not driven by clicks or corporate interests – just honest, independent reporting. Keep us going. Support Scroll today!