West Asia crisis: 38 Indian ships stranded in Persian Gulf; 3 sailors dead

New Delhi/Mumbai: Thirty-eight Indian-flagged ships, mostly carrying crude oil and liquefied natural gas and carrying nearly 1,100 seafarers, were stuck in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday amid a conflict in West Asia. Shipping authorities here also confirmed that three Indian sailors on board a foreign-flagged vessel were killed and one injured in an “attack” near an Omani port.

Officials said there are around 23,000 Indian seafarers aboard different ships in conflict-affected areas at any given time and their safety remains the government’s top priority. India is the third largest supplier of seafarers after the Philippines and China.

1,000 containers stuck at Indian ports West Asia CrisisOn Tuesday, Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal chaired a review meeting and directed officials, including DG Shipping, to take steps to ensure the safety and welfare of Indian seafarers and the security of maritime assets. “There have been no confirmed casualties, detentions or boardings involving Indian flag vessels,” DG Shipping said in a statement.DG Shipping briefed the ministers and officials about the situation in the region and the status of Indian-flagged vessels and Indian seafarers. Officials told the department that 24 ships were stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz and 14 more east of the strait.DG Shipping said four incidents involving Indian seafarers have been reported in the region, resulting in three deaths and one injury. They were allegedly traveling on a foreign-flagged vessel.Since the conflict began, at least five tankers have been damaged and 150 ships have been stranded around the strait.The new tensions have also disrupted shipping routes, prompting several container liner companies to suspend services to West Asia and reroute ships through the Cape of Good Hope, a move that has increased shipping times, costs and congestion at Indian ports.Sunil Vaswani, executive director of the Container Shipping Association of India, said many routes have now suspended services to West Asia for safety reasons, while long-distance trade to US, European and Mediterranean ports will continue. “Services to long-distance destinations will continue. Flights via Suez have been rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope. Transit times will be longer but safer,” he said, adding that deploying more ships on longer routes would drive up operating costs.Vaswani said the piling up of cargo at Indian ports was an urgent problem. “Containers are coming in, causing congestion. The ports are working with us,” he said. Port authorities confirmed that around 1,000 containers are currently trapped and they are coordinating with shipping lines to ensure timely loading and unloading.A shipping company official said ships bound for the Gulf would dock in Fujairah, Sohar or Khor Fakkan, where cargo is transported. He added that Sohar to Dubai is about 170 kilometers.Exporter and supplier Sanjay Pansare said around 150 containers of bananas, pomegranates, watermelons and onions are currently stuck due to supply disruptions.