The Union government on Tuesday said that it will establish a dashboard to track every Indian seafarer on vessels operating in the conflict-hit Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
This came after another Indian sailor was killed and 10 were injured earlier in the day in Iranian attacks on two oil tankers transiting the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz. The two vessels – Mombasa and Al Bahiyah – had a combined crew of 46, including 30 Indian seafarers.
Since the conflict in West Asia broke out on February 28, at least five Indian seafarers have died and one is missing. There have been 29 incidents of attacks on vessels carrying Indian seafarers, according to The Indian Express.
In an inter-ministerial meeting on Tuesday, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal directed that a “Seafarer-First” response should be adopted against the security threats in West Asia, according to a press release.
The measures include vessel-by-vessel monitoring of Indian seafarers, the appointment of dedicated liaison officers for affected crew members, and round-the-clock coordination between the shipping ministry, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Navy, the Directorate General of Shipping and Indian missions in Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
Regarding the dashboard, Sonowal said it…
