Overview
- A drone struck the Nicaragua-flagged tanker MT Petro Dolphin at Sohar Anchorage on Sunday, Oct. 11, rescuers recovered nine crew members and two Indian seafarers remain missing as search-and-rescue operations continue.
- Indian officials including Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and the Embassy in Muscat are coordinating with the Omani coastguard and the ship management company to support searches and assist survivors.
- On the same day the Marshall Islands-flagged MT Valthera was hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire but with all 11 Indian crew reported safe.
- Maritime security sources and Reuters data show a recent surge of attacks, drone overflights and attempted strikes around the Strait of Hormuz in late September and early October, a pattern that has raised operational and insurance concerns for ship operators.
- The Forward Seamen’s Union of India named the two missing sailors as Bir Bahadur Yadav and Amit Singh and urged urgent updates and family support, a response shaped by India’s large merchant seafarer workforce and growing domestic concern over crew safety.