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Indian-flagged vessel sinks off Oman coast after engine failure; all 14 crew rescued

The Indian Embassy in Oman said all 14 crew members rescued are "safe and in good health", adding that they were moved to a vessel which is heading to Mumbai.

TNIE online desk

An Indian-flagged vessel sank off the Oman coast following a mechanical failure, and all 14 crew members were rescued on Sunday, officials said.

The Indian Embassy in Oman said all 14 crew members rescued are "safe and in good health", adding that they were moved to a vessel which is heading to Mumbai.

The Mumbai-bound vessel, MV Jabal Ali, is learnt to be a cargo ship.

"Rescue operation involving Indian Flagged MSV Virat 1 has been successfully completed. All 14 crew members have been rescued and are presently onboard Jabal Ali 9 heading to Mumbai. The crew members are safe and in good health," the mission said in a post on X.

Authoritative sources said the vessel sank because of "mechanical failure".

Earlier, in a separate post, the Indian Embassy in Muscat said: "It has emerged that the vessel experienced an engine failure, and the crew eventually transferred safely to a life-raft. Rescue operation is presently underway through ships in vicinity, under coordination of Omani authorities."

The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Gulf region. Last week, three vessels carrying Indian crew members were attacked by US forces off the coast of Oman, leaving three seafarers dead.

Earlier on Saturday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio exchanged sharply differing views during a phone call, with Jaishankar calling the US killing of three Indian mariners as "unjustified" and Rubio warning that violations of the American blockade in the Strait of Hormuz "will not be tolerated".

"Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified," Jaishankar had said in a post on X after he spoke with Rubio during which he raised India's "strong protest" over the killings.

Meanwhile, Rubio underscored that violations of the American blockade and the illicit transport of Iranian oil will not be tolerated, US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

Rubio stressed that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with orders from US forces as they seek to uphold peace and security in the Strait, Pigott said.

The US has imposed a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz since April 13, preventing transit of ships to and from the ports of the Islamic Republic as part of its efforts to restrict Tehran from profiting from oil trade.

India on Friday summoned US charge d'affaires Jason Meeks, the second time in a week, and told him that American military's "lethal and deadly" strikes on commercial vessels with Indian crew members off the coast of Oman are "unacceptable" and they undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce.

(With inputs from PTI)

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