India Orders Shipping Firms To Halt Seafarer Deployment Through Strait Of Hormuz After Recent Ship Attacks

India has ordered shipowners, ship managers and recruitment companies to stop deploying Indian seafarers on vessels sailing through the Strait of Hormuz until further orders, following a series of attacks on merchant ships in the Gulf region that have killed and injured Indian crew members.

The advisory was issued late on Wednesday by the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA), which cited the worsening security situation in the Persian Gulf and continuing attacks on commercial vessels.

India is one of the world’s largest suppliers of merchant seafarers, with government data showing more than 300,000 Indians serving on ships worldwide.

“In view of the heightened security situation in the Persian Gulf region, including incidents resulting in casualties among Indian seafarers and continuing attacks on merchant vessels during the ongoing conflict, the Directorate considers it necessary to adopt enhanced precautionary measures,” the DGMA said.

Under the advisory, shipowners, ship managers and Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) companies have been instructed not to deploy Indian seafarers on vessels undertaking voyages through the Strait of Hormuz until further orders.

The DGMA also asked vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters to remain on high security alert, continuously monitor navigational warnings and security advisories, and strictly follow the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.

In case of an emergency, ships and seafarers have been advised to immediately contact the DGMA Communication Centre or the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR).

The regulator said the decision follows a series of attacks on merchant vessels that have significantly increased the risks to commercial shipping in the region.

The advisory referred to recent incidents involving Mombasa B, Al Bahyah, GFS Galaxy, MT WEDYAN and AL REKAYYAT.

The order comes after two Indian seafarers were killed in attacks on vessels in the region over the past three days.

On Tuesday, one Indian crew member was killed and eight others were injured when the Emirati-operated very large crude carriers (VLCCs) Mombasa B and Al Bahyah were struck by Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. ADNOC L&S later confirmed that both tankers had sustained significant damage.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) acknowledged carrying out the strikes, saying the two supertankers had ignored repeated warnings, switched off their navigation systems and attempted to pass through what it described as a mined route.

According to the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI), several other ships carrying Indian crew members, including MT Settebello, MT Celestial, MT Marivex, MT Jalveer, Galaxy, Sky Light, Safe Sea and MT Safesea Vishnu, have also come under attack during the ongoing conflict.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, the FSUI urged the government to lodge a formal protest with the United Nations over the deaths of Indian seafarers.

The union said “dozens of Indian lives have been lost due to targeted attacks on civilian merchant ships” and called for an independent international inquiry, a minimum compensation of US$5 million for each bereaved family, and stronger safety measures to protect Indian seafarers.

The DGMA said it will continue to monitor the security situation in the Gulf and remains committed to protecting the safety, security and welfare of Indian seafarers. The deployment restriction will remain in place until further orders.

References: Bloomberg, Economic Times