Central government gave information: 24 ships still in Hormuz, 23000 Indian sailors stranded in Gulf

New Delhi, 13 March. Amidst the increasing tension and extremely sensitive situation in the Middle East due to America-Israel vs Iran, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said on Friday that about 23,000 Indian sailors are working on merchant ships in the Gulf region. The government said that the safety of all these sailors is being constantly monitored.

Ministry’s Special Secretary Rajesh Kumar Sinha said that 677 Indian sailors are present on 24 ships west of the Strait of Hormuz. Apart from this, there are 76 other Indian sailors in ships sailing east of the Strait of Hormuz. The government is continuously monitoring the situation of all these people. He told that till Thursday there were 28 ships present in this area, but one of them, Jag Prakash, has left the place safely.

Coordination for the safety of seafarers

According to the ministry, work is being done in collaboration with Indian authorities, ship management companies and recruitment agencies. For this, constant contact has also been maintained with Indian embassies and local administration so that medical help and other assistance can be provided to the sailors immediately if needed.

3 Indian sailors dead so far, one still missing

The government said that so far three Indian sailors have been killed and four injured in attacks in the region. Another Indian sailor is still reported missing. The injured sailors are being taken to a safe place and are being treated.

Two Indians killed in attack on tanker

In the first week of March, two Indian sailors were killed in an attack on an oil tanker named Skylight. They were identified as Ashish Kumar and Dalip Singh. Dixit Solanki of Mumbai is said to be missing after that attack.

ship attack near iraq

Apart from this, an Indian sailor was killed in the attack on a tanker named Sefsi Vishnu near the coast of Iraq. However, 15 other Indians present on this ship were evacuated safely.

after the war started 18 ships became targets

According to geo-intelligence expert Damien Simon, at least 18 ships have been targeted since the war began on February 28. Iran or Iran-backed armed groups are being held responsible for these attacks. The government says that the maritime situation in the Gulf region is changing rapidly and India is constantly monitoring the situation for the safety of its sailors.