Two Oil Tankers Attacked in Strait of Hormuz, Two Indian Mariners Missing
Summary: On October 11, two oil tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in two Indian sailors going missing. Out of 11 Indians aboard the Nicaragua-flagged ‘MT Petro Dolphin,’ two are missing, while all 11 Indians on the ‘MT Valthera’ were safely rescued. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs strongly condemned the attacks on commercial vessels and urged resolution of the dispute through dialogue and diplomatic channels. October 12, Kathmandu.
Two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz were attacked with drones and unidentified projectiles, causing two Indian sailors to go missing. All 11 Indians aboard the other tanker were safely rescued. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, two separate attacks occurred on October 11. The Nicaragua-flagged ‘MT Petro Dolphin’ was directly attacked by a drone. Of the 11 Indians aboard, two remain missing. Meanwhile, the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker ‘MT Valthera’ was set on fire following an attack, but all 11 Indian sailors on board were rescued safely, the Ministry confirmed.
Search efforts for the missing Indian sailors are ongoing. The Indian Embassy in Muscat, Oman, is coordinating with local authorities and the ship management company to locate and rescue the two missing sailors. The embassy has provided constant monitoring updates on the condition of ‘MT Petro Dolphin’ via social media platform X and is also ensuring support is extended to the other Indian sailors affected on the vessel.
India’s plea to stop attacks on ships: The Ministry of External Affairs expressed serious concern over these attacks on commercial vessels in international waters and condemned them strongly. Emphasizing the safety of Indian seafarers abroad as a top government priority, the ministry warned that such attacks could further escalate regional tensions. It called on all parties involved to resolve disputes through dialogue and diplomacy. Additionally, the ministry stressed the need to uphold freedom of maritime trade and navigation under international law and urged an immediate halt to attacks targeting ships, sailors, and civilian infrastructure.