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A very heartbreaking and worrying news has come to light regarding the safety of international merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the busiest and strategic sea route of West Asia. A large commercial cargo ship ‘MV Cape Dao’ coming towards India in the coastal waters of Oman was suddenly attacked by destroyer torpedoes on Wednesday. In this gruesome attack, young Indian sailor Suraj Yadav, resident of Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh, posted as a wiper on the ship, has died tragically. A total of 28 crew members were present on the ship at the time of the incident, out of which 20 members were Indian citizens.
After the confirmation of this attack, there has been a stir in the international maritime corridor. The use of such lethal weapons on commercial ships has once again proved how deadly the Gulf region and the Sea of Hormuz are proving to be for civilian sailors. The ship, operating under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, was targeted without any prior warning while it was proceeding towards its destination India, causing deep grief and outrage in the maritime trading circles.
According to preliminary reports received from maritime defense and technical experts, the attackers fired two powerful torpedoes at the ship with the intention of completely paralyzing it. The first torpedo directly hit the accommodation area on the left side of the ship, where the crew members rest. At the same time, the second torpedo exploded in the main engine room located on the left side of the ship. Due to these double explosions, a massive fire broke out in the ship and thick smoke spread all around.
The tremendous impact of the torpedo caused a complete shutdown of the ship’s main power grid, completely cutting off the ship’s power supply. Along with this, the steering and direction control system of the ship stopped working, due to which the ship started swaying on the waves of the sea out of control. As soon as the emergency information was received, Oman Coast Guard immediately started a major relief and rescue operation in the sea. Amidst extremely challenging circumstances, the Coast Guard rescued the surviving crew members from the burning ship and brought them out safely.
Unfortunately, Indian sailor Suraj Yadav, who was near his residential and work area at the time of the attack, got hit by the powerful shock of the blast. The explosion caused extremely serious and life-threatening injuries to the back of his head, resulting in excessive bleeding and he died on the spot. The maritime administration and the concerned shipping agency, after formal legal formalities, have informed his family members living in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh about this unexpected accident. As soon as the news of martyrdom and untimely death of the promising son was received, there was chaos in the village and the family.
The rescue team has safely evacuated all the other 19 Indian nationals on board and shifted them to a safe haven in Oman. According to the information, another Indian ‘Fourth Engineer’ posted on the ship also suffered minor injuries during the attack, who has been given first aid and his condition is said to be out of danger. The ship owner, technical management and marine insurance companies are currently coordinating with Omani security authorities to prepare a detailed investigation report.
The Indian Embassy located in Muscat, the capital of Oman, has confirmed this tragic incident by issuing an official statement on the social media platform ‘X’. The Indian Embassy wrote that they are continuously monitoring the situation of the attack on the commercial ship MV Cape Dow coming towards India very closely. Embassy officials are in direct round-the-clock communication with Oman’s top naval and administrative officials regarding the well-being, food, medical treatment and repatriation of all crew members on board the ship, especially the remaining 19 Indian nationals.
In its official message, the Embassy has expressed deep sorrow over the death of the brave sailor of Deoria and expressed its deep condolences to the victim’s family. The Indian Mission has clarified that they are fully active in collaboration with the Recruitment and Placement Service License (RPSL) agency and the Ministry of Shipping to send the mortal remains of the deceased sailor to his home state in India as soon as possible and to provide all possible administrative and legal assistance to the bereaved family.
After this brutal and cowardly attack, the leading national organization of seafarers ‘Forward Seamen Union of India’ (FSUI) has registered its sharp and serious reaction. Expressing deep concern over the increasing military attacks on civilian merchant ships, the union has strongly demanded the Central Government and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to ensure foolproof security of Indian seafarers. The organization bluntly said that civilian sailors are not a part of any war or geopolitical conflict, they are only fulfilling their responsibilities and keeping the global supply chain running, hence attacking them with missiles and torpedoes is a direct violation of international maritime laws.
The union has raised the demand for a high-level international investigation into this attack, fixing the accountability of those responsible behind it and providing appropriate compensation and justice to the dependents of late Suraj Yadav. The union underlined that thousands of sailors working in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden are risking their lives in the line of duty every day. To show solidarity and protest against this tragic incident, the Forward Seamen’s Union of India has announced that on September 25, Indian seafarers from across the country and the world will wear black bands on their arms in a peaceful protest.