India working swiftly to assist stranded nationals: MEA
New Delhi, March 12: An Indian crew member of a US-owned oil tanker has been killed after the vessel came under attack in the waters near Iraq’s Basra.
The Indian embassy in Iraq, confirming the death, said 15 other Indian crew members onboard the ship were evacuated.
Commercial ships in the Persian Gulf have been targeted by the Iranian military in the last few days.
“On March 11, 2026, a US-owned crude oil tanker, Safesea Vishnu, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was attacked near Basra, Iraq, in which one Indian crew member unfortunately lost his life,” the Indian embassy in Iraq said on social media.
“The remaining 15 Indian crew have since been evacuated to a safe place,” it said.
The embassy said it is in regular contact with Iraqi authorities and rescued Indian sailors and is offering all possible assistance to them.
The mission extended its “deepest condolences to the family members of the deceased crew member.”
MEA assurance
India continues to work extensively on extending assistance to Indian nationals in Iran and at the same time is also addressing issues pertaining to the safety of shipping and country’s energy security amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the MEA stated on Thursday.
Highlighting the assistance being extended to Indian nationals in Iran, MEA on Thursday said that several citizens have returned home, while support continues for those planning to leave. The ministry urged Indian nationals wishing to leave Iran to adhere to the advisory recently issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran. “We have around 9,000 Indian nationals in Iran, including students, seafarers, businesspeople, professionals and pilgrims. Following advisories issued earlier, several Indian nationals, especially students, have already returned home. We have recently shifted several Indian nationals, including students and pilgrims who are based in Tehran to other safer locations and cities in the country,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
“We are also assisting Indian nationals who wish to travel to Azerbaijan and Armenia, and from there to take commercial flights to return home. We are assisting them with visas and border crossings. We have had several Indian nationals who have approached us, and we have helped them to cross over into Azerbaijan and Armenia and from there to take commercial flights back home,” he added. (Agencies)
