Deendayal Port to handle 22 vessels from March 13-15 amid inbound traffic surge: All you need to know

The Deendayal Port in Gujarat's Kandla is gearing up to handle a whopping 22 vessels over a 72-hour period over the weekend (March 13-15).

This is part of an expected surge in incoming vessels to India, amid the chaos in the Gulf, which has led to the closure of the Hormuz Strait, disrupting global energy flows.

"Systems working efficiently to accomodate reconfigured voyages and provide services to the best possible standards," the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) wrote in an X post on Friday.

AIS data shows that the bulk carrier Mayuree Naree (IMO: 9323649) is among the 22 vessels that the DPA is expected to handle over the weekend.

The Thai-flagged vessel was attacked by two projectiles of unknown origin as it sailed through the Hormuz Strait earlier on Wednesday, en route to the Deendayal Port.

New Delhi had condemned the attack on the bulk carrier—which killed one Indian national—as well as attacks on commercial ships in general.

"Precious lives, including of Indian citizens, have already been lost in multiple such attacks in the earlier phase of this conflict and the intensity and lethality of the attacks only seems to be increasing," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in an X post on Thursday.

Yet, on Wednesday, crude oil tanker Shenlong (IMO: 9379210) became the first vessel to successfully cross the Hormuz Strait, carrying crude oil from Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura Port to the Mumbai Port.

Managed by Dynacom Tankers, which has previously sent five vessels into the embattled strait despite Iran officially announcing its closure, the Liberian-flagged vessel is now scheduled to return to the Fujairah Port in the UAE.

This also comes amid Tehran on Friday confirming safe passage for Indian-flagged vessels travelling through the Hormuz Strait, following high-level diplomatic talks between the two nations.

"Yes, because India is our friend. You will see it within two or three hours. We believe that Iran and India share common interests in the region," said Iran's ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali.

"As ambassador in India, I say that the government of India in this situation, after the war, helped us in different fields," he added.