In a tragic development, the three Indian sailors who went missing after the US attacked Palau-flagged tanker MT Setebello off the coast of Oman on Tuesday have been confirmed dead. Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Thursday that the bodies of all three missing sailors have been recovered.
According to reports, the deceased include Aditya Sharma, a young deck cadet from Himachal Pradesh, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya and chief engineer Patnala Suresh. "It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified," Sonowal said in a post on X.
He added that the Modi government was “fully committed to supporting the next of kin” and the ministry has directed officials to ensure immediate repatriation of the rescued crew members and swift return of the mortal remains of the deceased.
Why did the US fire at MT Setebello
The deceased Indian sailors were part of the 28 members of MT Setebello. Besides 21 Indians, the vessel had two Pakistanis, one Ukrainian, and one Russian as its crew members.
Setebello had been to China in April. It unloaded cargo at Lianyungang Port from late April to early May and departed Singapore on May 12, according to the maritime intelligence website Lloyd's List. The Setebello was among several ships docked near Oman's Duqm port in recent days and reportedly under US Navy surveillance.
On Wednesday, the US military said an American aircraft fired "precision munitions" into the engine room of the Palau-flagged vessel M/T Settebello as it attempted to breach the naval blockade with a shipment of Iranian oil.
"Despite repeated warnings from US forces, the ship's crew ignored them," the US Central Command said in a statement. "A US aircraft then launched a precision weapon attack, targeting the ship's engine."
The US Army has also released a video of this action. It was the eighth merchant vessel disabled by US forces in waters off Iran.
Though the US did not mention details about the crew, Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI), claimed that the US was aware that the crew were mostly Indian. "I am 101% confident that the US Navy knew exactly how many Indian and foreign nationals were on board those ships. If the ships did not comply with their instructions, detaining them would have been the appropriate option," he told local media.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly condemned the incident. The Indian government summoned Jason Meeks, Deputy Chief of Staff of the US Embassy in New Delhi, and protested the incident as US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor was on a visit to Kazakhstan.
