Indian sailor missing since Sunday in Hormuz strike is dead: Father-in-law
The Cyprus-flagged GFS Galaxy, carrying 24 crew members including 11 Indians, was hit off the coast of Oman. The death is the second of an Indian seafarer in three days, deepening concerns over the safety of Indian crews operating around the Strait of Hormuz.
An Indian national who went missing after the commercial vessel GFS Galaxy was attacked off the coast of Oman has died, his father-in-law told international news agency Reuters on Wednesday. Heramb Karmarkar, 30, was a marine engineer on the Cyprus-flagged container ship, which was attacked on Sunday.
The vessel had a 24-member crew, including 11 Indians, and was hit by an "unidentified projectile," according to Cyprus authorities. Iran said it had struck the ship after it tried to pass through an unauthorised route despite warnings to correct its course.
Karmarkar's father-in-law, Vivek Tandon, told Reuters that the company operating the vessel had informed him of his son-in-law's death. India's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
Karmarkar is the second Indian seafarer to be killed in the region in three days. Another Indian seafarer was killed on Tuesday after two vessels were attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
After Tuesday's killing, New Delhi lodged a strong protest with Iran and summoned its deputy ambassador. Tehran says it has again closed the Strait of Hormuz after hostilities with Washington reignited last week, while US President Donald Trump says the waterway is open to all shipping traffic except that of Iran.
On Wednesday, the Centre announced a set of measures to monitor Indian seafarers operating in the Strait of Hormuz and support the families of those killed or injured, following the death of another sailor amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict. The measures include an operational dashboard to track every Indian seafarer on board every vessel, irrespective of its flag, and the appointment of a dedicated liaison officer for each affected family.
The decisions were taken at an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, held soon after fresh attacks on two oil tankers carrying Indian crew. The government said its response would remain "seafarer-first" as the security situation across West Asia continues to worsen.
The Centre's move came against the backdrop of the attack on the GFS Galaxy that killed Karmarkar over the weekend, as well as the attacks on the UAE-flagged vessels MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa in the Strait of Hormuz. The two vessels had 30 Indian seafarers among a combined crew of 46.
An Indian national who went missing after the commercial vessel GFS Galaxy was attacked off the coast of Oman has died, his father-in-law told international news agency Reuters on Wednesday. Heramb Karmarkar, 30, was a marine engineer on the Cyprus-flagged container ship, which was attacked on Sunday.
The vessel had a 24-member crew, including 11 Indians, and was hit by an "unidentified projectile," according to Cyprus authorities. Iran said it had struck the ship after it tried to pass through an unauthorised route despite warnings to correct its course.
Karmarkar's father-in-law, Vivek Tandon, told Reuters that the company operating the vessel had informed him of his son-in-law's death. India's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
Karmarkar is the second Indian seafarer to be killed in the region in three days. Another Indian seafarer was killed on Tuesday after two vessels were attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
After Tuesday's killing, New Delhi lodged a strong protest with Iran and summoned its deputy ambassador. Tehran says it has again closed the Strait of Hormuz after hostilities with Washington reignited last week, while US President Donald Trump says the waterway is open to all shipping traffic except that of Iran.
On Wednesday, the Centre announced a set of measures to monitor Indian seafarers operating in the Strait of Hormuz and support the families of those killed or injured, following the death of another sailor amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict. The measures include an operational dashboard to track every Indian seafarer on board every vessel, irrespective of its flag, and the appointment of a dedicated liaison officer for each affected family.
The decisions were taken at an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, held soon after fresh attacks on two oil tankers carrying Indian crew. The government said its response would remain "seafarer-first" as the security situation across West Asia continues to worsen.
The Centre's move came against the backdrop of the attack on the GFS Galaxy that killed Karmarkar over the weekend, as well as the attacks on the UAE-flagged vessels MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa in the Strait of Hormuz. The two vessels had 30 Indian seafarers among a combined crew of 46.
