Amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, the government has confirmed that all 21 Indian crew members aboard a Panama-flagged container ship targeted during an attack are safe. The incident comes as multiple vessels navigating the strategic waterway faced firing from Iranian forces.
Crew safe on attacked vessels
The container ship Euphoria was among three vessels fired upon by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday, per Hindustan Times. The attack is being seen in the backdrop of escalating tensions linked to a US blockade of Iranian shipping.
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"A vessel, Euphoria, was having 21 Indian seafarers on board, and all of them are safe," said additional secretary in the Shipping Ministry, Mukesh Mangal, at an inter-ministerial press conference, per HT.
The vessel also had one Burmese crew member. Another ship, Epaminondas, had one Indian onboard, who is also reported safe.
"None of the Indian seafarers has been injured in the firing on the foreign-flagged vessels," Mangal added, according to ANI.
Multiple ships targeted
Apart from Euphoria, the other ships attacked included the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and the Liberian-registered Epaminondas, which was heading to Mundra port in India. Officials said Francesca did not have any Indian crew members.
Iranian media reported that Euphoria had been stranded near the Iranian coast. However, ship tracking data indicated its presence near the Oman coast, with its destination listed as Khor Fakkan. A senior official later said the vessel is now moving towards Jeddah.
Authorities noted that real-time maritime tracking in the Strait of Hormuz has been impacted due to signal jamming and spoofing of transponder data, complicating monitoring efforts.
Other vessels and Indian presence
In a separate update, the Gibraltar-flagged bulk carrier Frosso K, carrying 55,000 metric tonnes of sulphur, has safely transited the strait and is headed for Paradip port. It was among 15 vessels prioritised for evacuation from the Persian Gulf.
The crude oil tanker Desh Garima has already reached Mumbai after crossing the strait earlier this month. However, two Indian-flagged vessels, Sanmar Herald and Jag Arnav, were also fired upon and had to turn back.
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The government said there are currently 518 Indian seafarers onboard vessels in the region, underlining the scale of India's maritime presence in these waters.
