22 Indian crew rescued from tanker MT Gem No. 2 off Ras Al Khaimah
Synopsis
All 22 Indian crew members aboard crude oil tanker MT Gem No. 2 were rescued off Ras Al Khaimah on 11 October, as the Strait of Hormuz saw multiple tanker incidents in a single weekend — including an IRGC claim of a supertanker striking naval mines and a separate LPG carrier attack. The safety of Indian seafarers in one of the world's most critical oil chokepoints is now in sharp focus.
Key Takeaways
All 22 Indian crew members aboard MT Gem No.
2 were rescued off Ras Al Khaimah coast on 11 October 2026 .
The Consulate General of India in Dubai confirmed the rescue and said it is coordinating with UAE authorities.
The UKMTO issued two separate incident reports on Sunday — one in the Gulf of Oman , another in the Strait of Hormuz .
Iran's IRGC claimed a supertanker hit naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz after allegedly using an 'unauthorised' route with GPS switched off.
On Friday , the IRGC also claimed it struck LPG carrier NV Sunshine in the same waterway, setting its engine room on fire.
All 22 Indian crew members aboard crude oil tanker MT Gem No. 2 have been rescued after an incident off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah, the Consulate General of India in Dubai confirmed on Sunday, 11 October 2026. The seafarers are reported safe, with the Consulate in active contact with UAE authorities to extend all possible support.
What the Indian Consulate Said
'The Consulate has learnt of an incident involving vessel MT GEM No. 2 off Ras Al Khaimah coast, that had 22 Indian crew members on board. All crew members have been rescued and are safe. The Consulate is in touch with UAE authorities and is extending all possible assistance and support to the Indian seafarers,' the Consulate General said in an official statement.
UKMTO Reports Two Separate Incidents
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued two separate advisories on Sunday — one covering a tanker incident involving military forces in the Gulf of Oman, and another concerning an incident within the Strait of Hormuz. In its Gulf of Oman report, the UKMTO stated: 'The Master of an outbound tanker reports being struck on the port side by an unknown projectile, causing a fire on board. Crew are reported safe. Damage assessment and environmental impact are unknown at time of report.'
Iran's IRGC Claims Naval Mine Explosion
The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) separately claimed that a 'violating' supertanker attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz via what it described as an 'unauthorised' route suffered a massive explosion after striking naval mines. According to a statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, the vessel was carrying crude oil with its navigation and GPS systems switched off when it caught fire following the blast. The IRGC warned that 'such a fate awaits any violating oil tanker' that disregards Iran's maritime regulations, according to reports.
Earlier IRGC Strike on LPG Carrier
The incident follows a Friday statement by the IRGC navy claiming that its forces had struck a 'giant' liquefied petroleum gas carrier identified as NV Sunshine as it attempted to cross the strait through what Iran termed an 'illegal' route south of the waterway. That vessel's engine room and propulsion system reportedly caught fire as a result.
Strait of Hormuz: A Flashpoint Under Pressure
This comes amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil transit chokepoints through which roughly 20% of global crude supply passes. Incidents involving Iran's IRGC and commercial vessels in the region have escalated intermittently over recent years, raising concerns among maritime insurers and shipping operators globally. The safety of Indian seafarers — who constitute a significant share of the global merchant navy workforce — remains a priority concern for New Delhi as maritime risk in the Gulf rises.
Point of View
But the deeper story is the accelerating pattern of IRGC interdictions in the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway too vital to global energy supply for the world to look away. Iran's framing of these incidents as 'regulation enforcement' rather than hostile action is a deliberate legal hedge, and one that the international maritime community has so far failed to counter with a unified response. For India, with hundreds of thousands of citizens employed in the global merchant navy, this is not an abstract geopolitical dispute — it is a consular emergency waiting to recur. New Delhi's measured diplomacy in the Gulf must now contend with the reality that its nationals are operating in a zone where state-directed maritime violence is being normalised.
NationPress
11 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to MT Gem No. 2 off Ras Al Khaimah?
Crude oil tanker MT Gem No. 2 was involved in an incident off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah, after which all 22 Indian crew members on board were rescued and confirmed safe by the Consulate General of India in Dubai on 11 October 2026.
Are the 22 Indian crew members safe?
Yes, all 22 Indian seafarers aboard MT Gem No. 2 have been rescued and are reported safe. The Indian Consulate in Dubai confirmed it is in contact with UAE authorities and is extending full support to the crew.
What did the IRGC claim about the Strait of Hormuz incident?
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that a supertanker attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz via an 'unauthorised' route struck naval mines and suffered a massive explosion. The IRGC said the vessel was carrying crude oil with its navigation and GPS systems switched off at the time.
What is the UKMTO and what did it report?
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) is a maritime security body that monitors commercial shipping in the Gulf region. On Sunday it issued two reports — one of a tanker struck by an unknown projectile in the Gulf of Oman, and another of a separate incident within the Strait of Hormuz.
What was the earlier attack on NV Sunshine?
On Friday, the IRGC navy claimed it struck liquefied petroleum gas carrier NV Sunshine as it attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz through what Iran described as an illegal route. The vessel's engine room and propulsion system reportedly caught fire as a result.
