The Embassy of India in Oman confirmed on Thursday that the evacuation of crew members from the vessel MT Jalveer, which experienced smoke due to a fire in its engine room, is being coordinated with the support of the Royal Navy of Oman and is expected to be completed shortly.

The incident occurred off the Shinas port, and all twenty Indian sailors on board have been reported safe following the emergency.

In a statement posted on X, the Embassy highlighted that efforts are underway in close coordination with local authorities to ensure the safe transfer of the crew to Shinas port.

The Embassy had earlier noted that it was closely monitoring the situation and working with Omani authorities to gather further details about the maritime incident.

The MT Jalveer is an Asphalt/Bitumen tanker sailing under the flag of Guinea-Bissau. According to vessel tracking data from Marinetraffic, the ship measures 119.95 metres in length overall and has a width of 16.84 metres. The tanker was reported to have encountered the fire northeast of Sohar, Oman.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a British maritime surveillance agency, confirmed that it had received communication regarding a tanker experiencing a fire in the engine room near Sohar. While the agency did not name the vessel, it advised ships in the vicinity to transit with caution. UKMTO further stated that no environmental impact had been reported as a result of the incident.

This latest development in Omani waters comes in the wake of heightened maritime tensions in the region. Only days earlier, the Palau-flagged vessel MT Settebello was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in the deaths of three Indian crew members out of the twenty-four onboard.

The back-to-back incidents have raised concerns about the safety of Indian seafarers operating in the Gulf of Oman and surrounding waters.

Indian authorities, including the Ministry of External Affairs and the Embassy in Muscat, remain in close coordination with the Royal Navy of Oman and local agencies to ensure the safe evacuation of all crew members from MT Jalveer. The situation continues to be monitored with priority given to the welfare of Indian nationals at sea.

ANI