AN INDIAN-flagged dhow sank off the Oman coast following a mechanical failure, and all 14 crew members were rescued on Sunday, officials said. The Indian Embassy in Oman said all 14 crew members rescued are “safe and in good health”, adding that they were moved to a vessel which is heading to Mumbai. The Mumbai-bound vessel, MV Jabal Ali, is learnt to be a cargo ship. “Rescue operation involving Indian Flagged MSV Virat 1 has been successfully completed. All 14 crew members have been rescued and are presently onboard Jabal Ali 9 heading to Mumbai. The crew members are safe and in good health,” the mission said in a post on X. Authoritative sources said the vessel sank because of “mechanical failure”.

 

Earlier, in a separate post, the Indian Embassy in Muscat said: “It has emerged that the vessel experienced an engine failure, and the crew eventually transferred safely to a life-raft. Rescue operation is presently underway through ships in vicinity, under co-ordination of Omani authorities.” The incident comes amid American military actions on merchant vessels defying the US’s naval blockade in the region. The Oman coast witnessed tensions last week as three vessels with Indian crew members came under US attack. One of them killed three seafarers. India on Friday summoned US charge d’affaires Jason Meeks, the second time in a week, and told him that American military’s “lethal and deadly” strikes on commercial vessels with Indian crew members off the coast of Oman are “unacceptable” and they undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce.