11 Indian crew evacuated from vessel off Oman after engine failure, 3 still at risk
Synopsis
Three Indian seafarers are already dead, two US envoy summonings have been filed, and now a fourth vessel — MSC Virat 1 — has lost power off Oman with three crew still unaccounted for. The Gulf of Oman has become a crisis zone for Indian maritime workers, and New Delhi's diplomatic patience is visibly running out.
Key Takeaways
11 of 14 Indian crew members aboard MSC Virat 1 were rescued and taken aboard MV Jabal Ali 9 after an engine failure off Oman on 14 June .
Rescue of the remaining 3 crew members was described as imminent by the Indian Embassy in Oman .
3 Indian seafarers were killed in an attack on commercial vessel Settebello earlier in the week; 21 others were rescued.
The MEA summoned US Charge d'Affaires Jason Meeks for the second time on Friday to protest US naval attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman .
All 20 Indian crew members aboard MT Jalveer were also rescued; the first incident involved MT Marivex on 8 June near the Strait of Hormuz .
Eleven Indian crew members have been evacuated from the Indian-flagged mechanised sailing vessel MSC Virat 1 following an engine failure off the coast of Oman on Sunday, 14 June, the Indian Embassy in Oman confirmed. Rescue efforts for the remaining three crew members were still under way as of the latest update.
What Happened to MSC Virat 1
The vessel experienced an engine failure, after which the crew transferred to a liferaft. MV Jabal Ali 9, a ship operating in the vicinity, took 11 of the 14 crew members on board as part of a rescue operation coordinated by Omani authorities. The Indian Embassy said in a statement that the rescue of the remaining members was expected to be completed shortly.
'In a closely coordinated and ongoing rescue operation at sea, 11 of the 14 crew members of MSC Virat 1 have been rescued and taken onboard by MV Jabal Ali 9. The rescue operation of the remaining members will complete shortly,' the Embassy said.
A Dangerous Pattern in the Gulf of Oman
The engine failure incident comes amid a deeply alarming stretch for Indian seafarers in the Gulf of Oman. In recent days, multiple commercial vessels carrying Indian crew have been attacked by US naval forces in the region — prompting sharp diplomatic protests from New Delhi.
On Wednesday, the commercial vessel Settebello was attacked off the Oman coast. Of its 24 Indian crew members, 21 were rescued while three were killed. The same day, all 20 Indian crew members aboard MT Jalveer were rescued with support from Omani authorities. The first incident in this cluster involved MT Marivex on 8 June, when a fire broke out aboard the vessel — carrying 24 Indian seafarers — south of the Strait of Hormuz.
India's Diplomatic Escalation
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned US Charge d'Affaires Jason Meeks on Friday to lodge India's strong protest against what it described as continuing attacks by US naval forces on commercial vessels carrying Indian seafarers. This was the second summoning of the US official in a matter of days.
'A strong protest was lodged with him regarding the continuing attacks by US naval forces on commercial vessels carrying Indian mariners in the Gulf of Oman, which have already resulted in the tragic and avoidable loss of three Indian lives,' the MEA said in its statement.
The MEA further conveyed that 'such actions are unacceptable and undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce in a sensitive region at a difficult time,' and requested that US forces operating in the region take all necessary measures to stop civilian casualties.
What Happens Next
The rescue of the three remaining crew members of MSC Virat 1 was described as imminent by the Embassy. Diplomatically, India's back-to-back summonings of the US envoy signal that New Delhi is escalating pressure on Washington to halt what it characterises as reckless use of lethal force against civilian shipping. The situation in the Gulf of Oman remains fluid, with Indian diplomatic and naval officials closely monitoring developments.
Point of View
Three deaths, and two diplomatic summonings in less than a week — the Gulf of Oman has become a live crisis for Indian maritime labour, and the government's response so far has been largely reactive. The MEA's language is unusually sharp for Indo-US relations, but summoning a Charge d'Affaires twice without a visible policy shift from Washington risks looking like protest theatre. The deeper question is structural: India has tens of thousands of seafarers on commercial vessels transiting some of the world's most contested waters, yet there is no publicly stated protocol for their protection when a partner nation's military is the threat actor.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to MSC Virat 1 off the coast of Oman?
MSC Virat 1, an Indian-flagged mechanised sailing vessel, suffered an engine failure off the coast of Oman on 14 June. The crew transferred to a liferaft, and 11 of the 14 crew members were subsequently rescued by MV Jabal Ali 9 in an operation coordinated by Omani authorities. Efforts to rescue the remaining three were ongoing.
How many Indian seafarers have been killed in the Gulf of Oman recently?
Three Indian seafarers were killed in an attack on the commercial vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman. Of the 24 Indian crew members aboard, 21 were rescued and 3 were killed. The MEA described the loss as 'tragic and avoidable'.
Why did India summon the US Charge d'Affaires?
India summoned US Charge d'Affaires Jason Meeks on Friday to lodge a strong protest against what the MEA called continuing attacks by US naval forces on commercial vessels carrying Indian seafarers in the Gulf of Oman. This was the second such summoning in a matter of days, the first having followed the attack on Settebello.
Which other vessels carrying Indian crew were affected in this period?
At least three other vessels were affected. MT Marivex experienced a fire on 8 June south of the Strait of Hormuz, carrying 24 Indian seafarers. MT Jalveer had all 20 of its Indian crew rescued with Omani support. The Settebello attack resulted in 3 Indian deaths and 21 rescues.
What has India asked the United States to do?
India has asked the US to ensure that its naval forces operating in the Gulf of Oman take all necessary measures to stop the loss of civilian life. The MEA conveyed that the use of 'lethal and deadly force against civilian shipping' is 'unacceptable' and undermines international maritime commerce in a sensitive region.
