India's maritime authority has directed shipping companies to stop deploying Indian seafarers on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz until further orders, following recent attacks on two ships in the strategic waterway amid the escalating West Asia crisis.
In an advisory, the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) instructed ship owners, ship managers and Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) companies to avoid assigning Indian sailors to vessels undertaking voyages through the Strait of Hormuz. It also directed masters of vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and adjoining waters to maintain heightened security vigilance, continuously monitor navigational warnings, security advisories and official updates, and implement all applicable security measures under the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code.
The advisory follows attacks this week on two merchant vessels — MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa — while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The two ships had a combined crew of 46, including 30 Indian seafarers. One Indian sailor was killed and another injured aboard MT Al Bahiyah, while nine Indian nationals were injured on MT Mombasa.
Earlier on Tuesday, Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal directed the DGMA to establish a comprehensive real-time operational dashboard to track every Indian seafarer on vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, irrespective of the ship's flag. The system is intended to provide vessel-by-vessel information on the location and status of Indian seafarers in the region.
(With PTI inputs)
