Two families are “sick with grief” waiting for news of two young sailors missing days after an empty tanker was struck by a drone off Oman.
The oil tanker, MT Petro Dolphin, was hit near the Sohar anchorage on Sunday. Relatives in two northern Indian villages are waiting for information on Amit Singh, 20, and Bir Bahadur Yadav, 25, who were on the main deck when the drone struck and fire spread.
Of the 12 crew on the Nicaraguan-flagged tanker, nine Indians and one Bangladeshi national were rescued and two seafarers are missing, India’s External Affairs Ministry has said.
It was the first sailing job for both men, and their relatives have described the incomprehensible loss they felt on learning of the attack.
“Amit’s parents are in and out of consciousness, they cannot cope. It’s all finished, there are no dreams left, it’s all broken,” Amit Singh’s uncle, Ravindar Singh, told The National from Gopala village in Uttar Pradesh.
“It’s as if they are dead. As long as they live, they will be in this condition, like death. We are trying to support them but what can we say to comfort them?”
Maritime agency reports show that at least 12 tankers have been attacked in the Arabian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz in the past week as Iran steps up its campaign to stop US-backed efforts to move oil.
There have been 24 seafarer deaths and 104 incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and the Middle East since the Iran war began on February 28, according to the International Maritime Organisation.
Shattered dreams
An experienced seafarer, Ravindar Singh, 40, spoke to rescued crew members to find out his nephew’s location when the drone struck. He says there is no hope of survival.
“The men told me Amit was working on the main deck in the exact same place of the drone attack. We know he is no more,” Mr Singh said. “The crew were evacuated by fishermen. They went around the vessel to search in case the sailors had jumped into the sea, but found nothing.”
Video shot by the crew captures the fire and smoke engulfing sections of the tanker, and a sailor can be heard crying out: “My two crew have gone, Allah, my two men have died.”
Amit Singh was from a poor farming community and his family were happy when he followed his uncle into the merchant navy. He signed on with the tanker in January as an able seaman, and his work covered navigation, mooring, handling cargo and maintenance of the ship’s deck equipment.
His uncle, a sailor for 20 years, spoke of the rising danger as merchant ships are targeted in the Iran-US and Russia-Ukraine wars.
Ravindar Singh returned home in May after a projectile landed near his ship in the Black Sea. His nephew was due to complete his contract on October 20, and the men had planned to find a safe voyage together.
“Amit was excited about coming home,” Mr Singh said. “After the Iran war, it is the worst condition for sailors. But Amit’s vessel was not in the Strait of Hormuz, it was in anchorage. How can it be that sailors are not safe near the port?”
Mr Singh spoke of his nephew’s plans to build a better life for his family.
“Amit was starting out in life. He wanted to save money to get his older sister married. His parents live on a small farm and he wanted a better life for them.
“This is so wrong. Why should Amit be gone? We are just seamen. We are like drivers, we load and unload cargo, we do as we are told. But they are targeting us. If the ship is the target, at least give sailors a warning. Property damage can be fixed but a sailor’s life is gone.”
Someone’s son, someone’s brother
The family of the second sailor, Bir Bahadur Yadav, also from Uttar Pradesh in northern India, tried to shield his mother from news that he was missing, but she learnt from villagers who heard it on television.
“I didn’t want to tell my mother until we were sure but now she knows, her spirit is broken/. She is constantly crying,” Mantoo Yadav, Bir’s elder brother, told The National from India. He works in Abu Dhabi and was visiting home when the attack occurred.
“In this war, why are sailors being killed? It is someone’s son, someone’s husband, someone’s brother who is dying. What will you get from killing our brothers?”
The night before the drone attack, Bir Bahadur spoke to his family about wanting to return home. The youngest of four, he worked as a wiper, cleaning the engine room and machinery. He had four months remaining on a nine-month contract.
“We had a long talk. He told us he had seen attacks and saw one ship hit nearby,” Mr Yadav said. “Bir was worried his ship would become a target. But he thought he should stay and finish the contract. We told him to come home but it was too late.”
Mr Yadav, 36, said his younger brother was focused on completing seafarer certifications to earn a higher rank.
“Bir wanted to work hard, finish exams to get a good position. He was serious when he spoke but could also make people laugh. He was very loving,” said Mr Yadav.
The family continues to hold on to hope.
“We have been told that we will know about Bir only when the ship is brought to shore and checked,” Mr Yadav said. “The crew saw the attack and know the other sailor is no more. But the crew did not see Bir.
“What if he managed to jump off? There is 10 per cent hope that he is still alive. Maybe in the rescue, they will find him unconscious.”
Waiting for news
Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India, spoke of the trauma families suffer as they wait for news from search operations.
“It's tough. When a vessel is hit by drone or rocket, there is fire and waterlogging,” said Mr Yadav, who is not related to the missing sailor. “It takes time to search the area for missing sailors, and families may not get an answer for days.”
Neither Iran nor the US has taken responsibility for the drone strike. Maritime associations have called for more protection for sailors as the war continues.
“This tanker was anchored off Sohar, so what was the need to hit this vessel? The only danger is for sailors,” Mr Yadav said. “It’s a very alarming situation and the threat to sailors is growing. Families are suffering. We need strong measures to protect seafarers.”
India’s External Affairs Ministry has condemned the attacks. “The recurring attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply concerning and risk further aggravating an already volatile situation,” the Indian government said. “Attacks on commercial vessels, seafarers and civilian infrastructure must cease.”
