New Delhi [India], April 23 : The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on Thursday said that all Indian seafarers operating in the region are safe following recent firing incidents involving foreign-flagged vessels.
Addressing an inter-ministerial press briefing here, Additional Secretary of the Ministry, Mukesh Mangal, said that while no Indian-flagged vessels were affected, concerns remain over the safety of Indian crew members serving on foreign ships in the affected area.
"In the past 24 hours, there were certain incidents of firing on the foreign-flag vessels. Although none of the Indian vessels came under fire, we are worried for the Indian seafarers on these vessels," Mangal said.
He confirmed that no Indian seafarers were injured in the incidents. "None of the Indian seafarers has been injured in the firing on the foreign-flagged vessels," he added.
Mangal further said that all Indian crew members on affected ships have been accounted for and are safe.
"A vessel, Euphoria, was having 21 Indian seafarers on board, and all of them are safe. Similarly, there was another vessel, Epaminondas. That vessel has one Indian seafarer. He is also safe," he said.
He reiterated that authorities are closely monitoring the situation in coordination with relevant agencies. "Therefore, all the Indian seafarers in the region are safe," Mangal added.
The statement comes against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where previous reports indicated that the Indian-flagged crude oil tanker Desh Garima successfully navigated the corridor on April 18 with 31 Indian seafarers on board, becoming the 10th Indian vessel to pass through since early March.
However, other Indian vessels, including VLCC Samnar Herad and bulk carrier Jag Arnav, had reportedly come under fire in the region, forcing them to turn back without injuries to crew members.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mangal dismissed online reports claiming that an Indian-linked vessel had been targeted by cyber criminals or extortion attempts in West Asian waters.
He said reports involving the vessel Sanmar Herald were false and had been verified with the ship's owner.
"News is spreading about the reported payment by the captain of the vessel Sanmar Herald in USD... We spoke with the owner of the vessel, and he confirmed that it is fake news and no such incident has happened," Mangal said during an inter-ministerial briefing.