Indian seafarer dies in Iranian attack on oil tanker near Iraq’s Basra

An Indian seafarer lost his life after a crude oil tanker was struck by an unmanned craft on the port side of the vessel while she was conducting ship-to-ship (STS) loading operations.

The vessel, identified as Safesea Vishnu, was reportedly carrying a cargo of naphtha at the time of the incident.

In an official statement, India’s Directorate General of Shipping confirmed the incident involving the oil tanker Safesea Vishnu near Basra, Iraq, on March 11 during ship-to-ship cargo loading operations off Khor Al Zubair Port.

Preliminary reports indicate that a white coloured unmanned speedboat carrying explosives approached the vessel from the starboard side and rammed into it, resulting in a major fire onboard, the statement of the Directorate General of Shipping reads.

Due to the blast, the vessel caught fire, which rapidly spread across the ship. The crew immediately abandoned the vessel and jumped into the water, the company said, adding that they were rescued by nearby rescue boats and subsequently transferred to the Al-Fao Island base.

“Unfortunately, of the 28 crew members on board, one crew member, after being rescued by the rescue team, could not survive due to the ingestion of seawater. The crew member, despite being rendered treatment