An Indian crew member was killed after an unmanned drone boat struck an oil tanker off the coast of Oman, triggering a fire in the engine room and forcing the evacuation of all 21 personnel on board, authorities confirmed.
The Sultanate of Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said the incident took place about 52 nautical miles northwest of Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat Governorate on Saturday.
The tanker, identified as MKD VYOM, was flying the flag of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and was carrying around 59,463 metric tonnes of cargo at the time of the attack.
According to officials, the unmanned vessel rammed into the tanker, causing an explosion and blaze in the main engine room. One Indian national lost his life in the incident.
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There were 21 crew members on board — 16 Indians, four Bangladeshis and one Ukrainian. All survivors were safely evacuated by the merchant vessel MV SAND, sailing under the Panama flag, in coordination with Oman's Maritime Security Centre.
The Royal Navy of Oman has deployed a ship to monitor the damaged tanker and has issued navigational advisories to vessels transiting the area. Authorities have not yet identified the group responsible for the strike.
The attack comes amid escalating tensions in the region, with Iran issuing warnings to vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime corridor for global oil shipments. Tehran has been suspected of launching maritime strikes as hostilities in the Middle East intensified following major US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran.
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