An Indian seafarer has died after the commercial vessel MV Cape Dao came under attack off the east coast of Oman on Wednesday, September 23. The Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier was hit by two torpedoes on its port side while sailing from Mina Saqr toward India, causing serious damage to the crew accommodation area and part of the engine room.
The ship had 28 crew members on board, including 20 Indian nationals. Of them, 19 have been rescued, while one Indian national lost his life. Indian media have identified the deceased seafarer as Suraj Yadav, from Uttar Pradesh.
MEA’s response
The Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement condemning the strike and confirming the toll: it condemned the attack on MV Cape Dao and confirmed that 19 of the 20 Indian seafarers on board had been rescued, offering condolences to the family of the seafarer who died. The ministry added that India’s embassy in Oman was closely tracking the situation and working with Omani authorities to arrange the seafarers’ early repatriation, and thanked Oman for its assistance.
Going further, the MEA flagged the broader pattern of such incidents, saying the continuing strikes on commercial shipping in the region were a serious concern, and renewed India’s appeal for dialogue and diplomacy to ease tensions and restore calm to the region.
Part of a wider pattern
This is not an isolated case. On September 13, the MEA had condemned a separate attack on the commercial vessel MT El Gaia off Oman’s coast, a Panama-flagged ship carrying 14 Indian nationals — 13 were rescued, while one seafarer remains missing.
Indian seafarers have increasingly found themselves caught in the crossfire of tensions in West Asian waters. Earlier this year, an Indian crew member was killed when a US-owned tanker, the Safesea Vishnu, was attacked near Basra, Iraq, with the rest of the Indian crew evacuated safely. And in March, India’s Directorate General of Shipping reported that three Indian seafarers on foreign-flagged vessels had been killed and one injured amid escalating regional tensions, prompting the government to set up a quick response team for evacuation and support.