Indian sailors injured in Hormuz as fresh tanker attack threatens crews

A projectile struck the Panama-flagged tanker On Peace as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz off Oman on October 6. Twelve crew members were injured, including 11 Indian nationals, according to News18.

The tanker carried 19 crew members, 17 of them Indian, Le Monde reported. The injured crew were evacuated to Oman.

On October 6, India condemned the attack and called for an immediate end to attacks on commercial vessels. Business Line reported that all 12 injured crew members had been evacuated.

The evacuation figures differ across the coverage. Middle East Eye reported on October 6 that Oman carried out a medical evacuation for 10 crew members. The supplied reports do not explain the difference.

India's response also addressed attacks in the Black Sea. On October 7, Bloomberg reported that India was engaging Ukraine and Russia to secure safe passage for grain and energy shipments as attacks disrupted commercial shipping and endangered its seafarers.

The wider toll came into focus on October 8. Indian Express reported, citing an official, that 11 Indian seafarers had died since the West Asia war and 139 crew members were stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. Those deaths were a broader war-related toll, not the reported casualty count from the On Peace attack.

A separate attack followed on October 9. The Panama-flagged crude oil tanker MT GEM NO. 2 was hit by a drone at Sharjah Anchorage, Times Now reported on October 10. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said all 22 Indian seafarers aboard were safe.

The latest reported attack caused no reported injuries among the 22 Indian crew members aboard MT GEM NO. 2. Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the government was in contact with the ship management company to ensure their safety and well-being, according to News18.

For the On Peace crew, the coverage establishes that injured sailors were evacuated to Oman but does not provide a subsequent medical update. India has continued to call for dialogue and diplomacy to end the conflicts, The Hindu reported.

The immediate issues are the recovery of the injured On Peace sailors and the safety of crews still in the Strait of Hormuz. The October 8 report from Indian Express put the number stuck there at 139; the supplied coverage contains no later update on their departure.

India's contacts with Russia and Ukraine are another point to follow. Bloomberg reported efforts to ensure safe Black Sea passage, but the supplied coverage does not establish that an agreement has been reached.