What Happened to the Indian Crew on the Togo-Flagged Tanker Near Oman?

Incident Involving Togo-Flagged Tanker Near Oman

New Delhi: An oil and chemical tanker flying the Togo flag was involved in a tense situation near Oman, where Iranian authorities fired warning shots. Fortunately, all 17 Indian crew members aboard are reported safe, according to a statement from India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on Monday.

The tanker, identified as MT CHIRON 7, was navigating close to the outer port limits of Shinas in Oman on April 25 when it came across vessels that were intercepted by the Iranian Coast Guard, as explained by Mandeep Singh Randhawa, a director at the ministry, during a media briefing regarding developments in West Asia.

"All Indian sailors are unharmed, and no vessels registered under the Indian flag have been impacted," he confirmed.

The incident occurred while the tanker was in proximity to other ships when the Iranian Coast Guard intervened and discharged warning shots.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is actively collaborating with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian diplomatic missions, and maritime stakeholders to ensure the safety of seafarers and the smooth continuation of operations, he added.

In the last 24 hours, the DG Shipping control room managed 7,780 calls and 16,650 emails, maintaining contact with 2,770 Indian vessels, of which 12 provided updates. The situation is being monitored closely, and there is currently no cause for alarm.

Port operations throughout India are functioning normally, with no reports of congestion, he noted.