Don't deploy Indian seafarers on vessels undertaking voyages through Strait of Hormuz, India tells shipping companies

India has ordered shipowners, ship managers and recruitment companies not to deploy the country's seafarers on vessels undertaking trips through the Strait of Hormuz following a series of attacks on tankers transiting the maritime chokepoint amid the US-Iran war.

"No deployment of Indian seafarers on vessels undertaking voyages involving passage through the Strait of Hormuz until further orders," the Directorate General of Shipping said in an order on Wednesday.

It also directed all stakeholders to:

Heightened security vigilance in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and adjoining waters.

- Continuous monitoring of navigational warnings and security advisories, with strict implementation of the ISPS Code.

- Immediate reporting and assistance through the IFC-IOR and DG Communication Centre (MMDAC) in case of emergencies.

Attacks on ships in Strait of Hormuz

Two Indian seafarers have been killed in attacks on vessels in the region over the last three days, as tensions escalate in the Middle East.

On Tuesday, one Indian crew member was killed and eight others were ​wounded when two Emirati oil tankers were struck by Iranian cruise missiles in the Strait of Hormuz.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's shipping arm ADNOC L&S later confirmed the very large crude carriers (VLCCs) Mombasa B and Al Bahyah were struck while transiting Hormuz and had sustained "significant damage".

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) acknowledged the strikes and said that two "offending" supertankers were hit and ​disabled in the Strait of Hormuz after ignoring repeated warnings, turning off navigation systems and attempting to pass through what the Guards described as a mined route.

According to the Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI) several vessels with Indian crew members onboard, MT Settebello, MT Celestial, MT Marivex, MT Jalveer, Galaxy, Sky Light, Safe Sea and MT Safesea Vishnu have also been targeted during the ongoing conflict.

There are more than 310,000 Indian seafarers on merchant ships, making the country the second-largest supplier of sailors, according to an estimate from BIMCO, a trade association, and the International Chamber of Shipping.

FSUI seeks action

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, FSUI on Thursday urged India to register a strict official protest with the UN against the killing of innocent Indian seafarers in the US-Israel-Iran conflict zone.

“Dozen of Indian lives have been lost due to targeted attacks on civilian merchant ships. Seafarers are not collateral damage,” FSUI said.

It urged the government to seek

An immediate independent international enquiry.

Minimum compensation of US $5 million for each grieving family.

Stronger safety protocols to protect our maritime heroes.