Indian seafarer missing after Oman vessel attack dead, family says

An Indian national who went missing after an attack on the commercial vessel GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman has been confirmed dead, his father-in-law told Reuters on Wednesday. The seafarer was among 11 Indians on board the vessel, of whom 10 had earlier been rescued, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The confirmation comes a day after India summoned Iran's deputy chief of mission in New Delhi to lodge a strong protest over attacks on two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz that killed one Indian seafarer and injured several others.

The MEA said India was "deeply concerned" by the attacks on MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa during their transit through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The two vessels had 46 crew members, including 30 Indians. "India is deeply concerned by the attacks on two vessels, MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa, during their transit through the Strait of Hormuz today," the ministry said, adding that one Indian had "tragically lost his life."


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The ministry also called for an immediate cessation of violence and a return to dialogue and diplomacy "in keeping with international law."

The latest developments come amid renewed escalation in the Middle East after the United States launched fresh strikes against Iran. The attacks have heightened concerns over the safety of merchant vessels and crews operating in the region.

In response, Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday launched the "Seafarer-First" emergency response mechanism to protect Indian seafarers operating in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman. The initiative will create a vessel-by-vessel operational dashboard to track every Indian sailor on ships in the conflict-affected region, irrespective of the vessel's flag.

India is one of the world's largest suppliers of merchant sailors, with more than 320,000 active seafarers in 2025, according to the shipping ministry.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical global shipping route through which about one-fifth of the world's oil moved before the war began on February 28. US President Donald Trump had on Monday threatened to impose charges on cargo moving through the waterway and restore a blockade on Iranian ships, but backed away from the proposal on Tuesday.