Don’t put Indian sailors on vessels plying the Strait of Hormuz, India tells shipping companies | Today’s news
India has ordered ship owners, ship managers and recruitment companies not to put the country’s sailors on vessels sailing through the Strait of Hormuz following a series of attacks on tankers passing through the maritime choke point amid the US-Iran war.
“No deployment of Indian seamen on vessels undertaking voyages involving the passage of the Strait of Hormuz until further orders,” the Directorate General of Maritime Transport said on Wednesday.
He also ordered all involved to:
Increased security vigilance in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and adjacent waters.
– Continuous monitoring of navigation warnings and safety warnings with strict implementation of the ISPS Code.
– Immediate reporting and assistance through IFC-IOR and DG Communication Center (MMDAC) in case of emergency.
Attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz
Two Indian sailors have been killed in attacks on vessels in the region in the past three days as tensions escalated in the Middle East.
On Tuesday, one Indian crew member was killed and eight others were injured when two Emirati oil tankers were hit by Iranian cruise missiles in the Strait of Hormuz.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s shipping arm ADNOC L&S later confirmed that the very large crude carriers (VLCCs) Mombasa B and Al Bahyah were hit while transiting through Hormuz and suffered “significant damage”.
According to the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI), several vessels with Indian crew members on board, MT Settebello, MT Celestial, MT Marivex, MT Jalveer, Galaxy, Sky Light, Safe Sea and MT Safesea Vishnu, were targeted during the ongoing conflict.
There are more than 310,000 Indian seafarers on merchant ships, making the country the second largest supplier of seafarers, according to an estimate by trade body BIMCO and the International Chamber of Maritime Affairs.
FSUI is looking for action
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, the FSUI urged India to register a strict official protest with the United Nations against the killing of innocent Indian sailors in the US-Israel-Iran conflict zone.
“Dozens of Indian lives have been lost due to targeted attacks on civilian merchant ships. Seafarers are not collateral damage,” FSUI said.
He called on the government to search
Immediate independent international investigation.
A minimum compensation of US$5 million for each bereaved family.
Tighter security protocols to protect our naval heroes.
