As many as 16 Indian seafarers have been killed in conflicts in the Persian Gulf and Black Sea regions since February 28, the government said on Thursday.
Shipping Secretary Vijay Kumar said 11 Indian seafarers had died in conflicts in West Asia and the Persian Gulf region, while a senior Shipping Ministry official said five others were killed in the Black Sea.
Kumar said the government had safely repatriated 4,232 Indian seafarers from the Strait of Hormuz area since the conflict began.
Since February 28, 74 vessels of Indian interest have transited through the Strait of Hormuz, including 25 Indian-flagged ships, the official said. The remaining vessels were foreign-flagged.
Currently, eight Indian-flagged ships are in the Strait of Hormuz area. Of these, six are safely operating in the region, while two are container vessels, the official said.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime chokepoint connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, has witnessed repeated missile attacks on vessels since the start of the US-Iran conflict.
(With inputs from PTI)