In a shocking maritime incident in the Gulf of Oman, an Indian crew member lost his life when an oil tanker came under attack northwest of Sultan Qaboos Port near Muscat, Oman. The event, reported on March 2, 2026, by Oman’s Maritime Security Centre, has raised fresh concerns about safety in this vital shipping route amid rising regional tensions.
The vessel involved was the MKD VYOMan oil tanker flagged under the Republic of the Marshall Islands. It was carrying around 59,463 metric tons of cargo when it was struck by an unmanned boat (described in reports as a remotely operated or bomb-carrying drone boat) approximately 52 nautical miles off the coast of Muscat Governorate.
The impact caused a severe explosion and fire in the tanker’s main engine room, tragically claiming the life of one crew member—an Indian national. Authorities confirmed that the deceased was present in the engine room during the attack.
The tanker had a total crew of 21 members:
- 16 Indian nationals
- 4 Bangladeshi nationals
- 1 Ukrainian national
In a swift and coordinated response, the entire crew was safely evacuated with assistance from the Maritime Security Centre. They were rescued by the merchant vessel MV SANDwhich flies the Panamanian flag. Following the evacuation, a vessel from the Royal Navy of Oman has been monitoring the damaged tanker and issuing navigational warnings to other ships in the area to prevent further incidents.
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