MANGALURU: A sailor hailing from Mangaluru, along with other crew, is stuck at the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, for the last 20 days in an LPG carrier bound to India amid escalating tensions between the US-Israel and Iran.
“We are under constant threat. The Indian Navy is guiding and helping to get us out, but the situation is getting bad. We see ballistic missiles and drones fly past us on a regular basis. I witnessed a ship struck by missiles at a close distance. I have transited more than 20 times, but this is the first time I am stuck so badly,” said the marine engineer describing the situation around the ship. He has been working with the merchant navy since 2010 and has requested anonymity for security reasons.
“Back home in Mangaluru, our families are worried and feeling helpless. It has been six months since I visited my family there. They are waiting for my return,” the sailor said.
Describing the harrowing experience, the sailor said, “We were loading the cargo at one of the Middle Eastern ports, and in the middle of it, missiles and drones were falling about 200 metres from our ship. But we continued loading as it is our duty, and that is what we are meant to do. Now, after a two-day transit to Hormuz, we are asked to anchor. The Merchant Navy ensures our country is self-sufficient in terms of energy reserves. It is a rare occurrence, and that is what we in the Merchant Navy prepare for all the time,” the sailor said.
The large LPG carrier was about to transit this week, but due to the worsening situation with shelling and exchange of fire, it has been called to anchor, with the Indian Navy closely monitoring the situation as talks are underway at the diplomatic level to get the vessels out.
The sailor said they have a stock of essentials, including food, drinking water and fuel, which is sufficient for a month, which they picked up on their way.
According to sources, a total of 22 vessels are stuck, of which seven are LPG carriers. “Only two of them managed to get through earlier, and we were the third vessel supposed to exit, but the situation has spiralled disproportionately. The present LPG crisis in India is because the vessel we are in has not made it yet,” the sailor said.
The LPG shipment stuck at the Strait of Hormuz is expected to sustain the entire population of Karnataka, Kerala and Goa for 15 to 20 days. The voyage from the Middle Eastern countries to India usually takes 6 to 7 days.
The sailor recalled a similar situation when they were stuck at the Black Sea a few years ago. “During geopolitical conflicts, merchant ships become easy targets,” the sailor said.
The GPS satellite has been blocked in the region, making it unsafe to navigate, and it is suicidal to sail without a navy escort. A few crew members have reported loss of sleep due to the fear for their safety, the sailor said.
“The support from the Indian Navy is keeping morale high. We are doing our regular work and keeping the morale of the crew members high. We keep the crew members occupied with more work than usual, along with recreation, including indoor sports. Morale among the crew members is high, and we are confident to make it safely to our homeland,” added the sailor.