A 54-year-old Indian seafarer from Mumbai died after the oil tanker he was serving on came under attack near Iraq’s southern port city of Basra, according to officials from India’s shipping authorities.
The deceased, Deonandan Prasad Singh, was working as an additional chief engineer aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Safesea Vishnu when the vessel was struck near Khor Al Zubair Port. India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways confirmed on March 12 that an Indian crew member had died following the incident. Authorities said Singh sustained severe injuries during the attack and later succumbed to them.
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Following the strike, the crew abandoned the vessel and entered the water. All 28 crew members including 16 Indians and 12 Filipinos, were later rescued and evacuated to Basra by the Iraqi Coast Guard.
A marine engineer with decades of experience
Singh lived in Kandivli in Mumbai and had nearly 25 years of experience in marine engineering, according to officials.
Originally from Rani Bamia village in the Sonhaula block of Bhagalpur district in Bihar, Singh had earlier shifted to a shore-based job after years of sailing at sea. Family members said he had moved to a desk role more than seven years ago before returning to ship duty shortly before the escalation of hostilities in the region. According to relatives, Singh boarded the vessel in Iraq just three days before the war between Iran, Israel, and the United States escalated on February 28. He died less than two weeks after joining the ship.
Family members told news agency PTI that the tanker was allegedly targeted by an Iranian “suicidal ship” during the hostilities. In an attempt to survive the attack, Singh reportedly jumped into the sea, but rescue efforts could not save him.
Family reacts to the tragedy
Singh’s brother, Krishnanandan Prasad Singh, said the family learned about the incident early in the morning through a call from the shipping company. "A company official called us around 5 am and informed us about the attack and my brother’s death," he said.
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Singh is survived by his son and daughter. His son, who lives in the United States, travelled to India after receiving news of the tragedy, relatives said.
The ship management company and associated stakeholders expressed condolences to the family, while maritime authorities said an investigation into the attack is underway.
