Indian embassy confirms safe return of 21 rescued seafarers from Oman

Muscat, June 16 (IANS) All 21 rescued Indian crew members of MT Settebello are returning to India safely from Oman, the Indian Embassy in Muscat announced on Tuesday, reaffirming its commitment to the welfare and safety of Indian nationals.

Ahead of their departure back home, India’s Ambassador to Oman, Prashant Pise, interacted with the crew members, conveyed his best wishes and appreciated their resilience during a difficult ordeal.

According to the Indian embassy, 21 Indian nationals were rescued, and three others lost their lives following an attack on the Palau-flagged vessel MT Settebello about 30 nautical miles off the coast of Sohar in Oman.

“MT Settebello, a Palau-flagged vessel, was about 30 nautical miles off the coast of Sohar, Oman, at the time of the attack. Oman Maritime Security Centre was intimated forthwith, based on which relevant Omani authorities were alerted for search and rescue (SAR). While 21 Indian crew members have since been successfully rescued, 3 seafarers lost their lives in the tragic incident at sea,” the Indian Embassy in Muscat posted on X.

Last week, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar spoke to the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and lodged a strong diplomatic protest with the United States after the latter’s Navy strike on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman killed three Indian seafarers.

The EAM, while speaking to his US counterpart Rubio, also added that “such lethal actions against commercial shipping are ‘not justified.'”

Earlier on June 12, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned US Charge d’Affaires Jason Meeks once again to lodge New Delhi’s protest against continuing attacks on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman, which recently claimed the lives of three Indian seafarers.

“We had summoned the US CdA to register our protest on the attack that happened on this commercial vessel off the coast of Oman, Settebello. Three Indian nationals have died in that incident. We conveyed our deepest concerns about these incidents and the string of attacks that are happening. And we hope and expect that these would end, that these would come to an immediate halt. Also, our deep concerns regarding the targeting of commercial ships, of marine personnel, and of civilian infrastructure. So, we conveyed our concerns to the American side, to the US side, on these attacks,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had stated during a media briefing.

–IANS

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