A serious incident came to light amid increasing tension in the Strait of Hormuz located in the Middle East. India’s Shipping Ministry said that Iran fired on a Panama-flagged ship named Euphoria, in which 21 Indian crew members were aboard. It is a matter of relief that no Indian sailor was injured in this incident and everyone is safe.

According to ANI report, Euphoria was among the three ships which were attacked by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps i.e. IRGC. This action took place at a time when Iran is protesting against the US-imposed ban on its shipping and wants to strengthen its control over this important waterway. This is the same route through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil passes.

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Euphoria ship found off the coast of Oman

Apart from Euphoria, the two other ships that were attacked include Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and Liberia-registered Epaminondas. Epaminondas was coming towards Mundra Port of India. However, there was no Indian crew member in Francesca. Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary in the Shipping Ministry, said that the 21 Indian sailors aboard Euphoria are completely safe. A Burmese citizen is also present on the ship. He also clarified that no Indian was injured in this firing on foreign flagged ships. After the attack, some reports said that Euphoria was stuck off the coast of Iran, but according to ship tracking websites, the ship was seen near the coast of Oman, which is at Fakkan Port. A senior shipping ministry official later said the ship was heading towards Jeddah.

Difficult to trace ships in Strait of Hormuz

Another big problem has come to light during this entire incident. It has become difficult to ascertain the exact position of ships in the Strait of Hormuz, because attempts are being made to interfere in signals on a large scale and show wrong data. Meanwhile, the Shipping Ministry gave another update. A Gibraltar-flagged ship named Froso K, carrying 55,000 metric tonnes of sulphur, has safely transited the Strait of Hormuz and is now heading towards Paradip Port, India. This ship was in the list of 15 ships which were given priority. Apart from this, a crude oil tanker named Desh Garima, which passed through Hormuz on 18 April. He reached Mumbai on Wednesday. However, on the same day, two Indian flagged ships Sanmar Herald and Jag Arnav were also fired upon by IRGC boats. After this both the ships had to return.

How many Indian sailors are present in the Strait of Hormuz?

According to the Shipping Ministry, a total of 518 Indian sailors are currently present on Indian flagged ships in the Persian Gulf region. Of these, 340 sailors are west of the Strait of Hormuz and 178 sailors are in the Gulf of Oman. The current incident clearly shows how tense the situation is. Although Indian sailors are safe so far, the situation is being constantly monitored.

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