The family of a young Indian sailor killed when torpedoes struck a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz has pleaded with Iran and the US to stop attacking merchant vessels.
“Fight with each other, leave our children alone; they are innocent,” the family of Suraj Yadav said.
Mr Yadav, 23, was among 28 crew aboard the bulk carrier Cape Dao transiting the strait. He became the latest merchant navy sailor to be killed when two projectiles hit the ship north-east of Oman on September 23. Another sailor was injured, and the Oman Navy rescued the crew.
“It’s like a stone is pushing down heavily on our hearts; my family cannot stop crying,” Awadhesh Yadav, Suraj’s uncle, told The National from his hometown of Karmajitpur in Uttar Pradesh, northern India. “He was the eldest of all our children. There is no life for us with him gone.”
A total of 24 sailors have been killed in 85 incidents involving commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Middle East since the war between Iran and the US began on February 28, according to the International Maritime Organisation.
Don't attack other people's children
Suraj Yadav dreamt of educating his four younger brothers and improving his family's financial situation.
He had been working for just a month in his first job after signing up on August 19. He joined as a wiper, an entry-level position that involves cleaning machinery in the engine room and assisting the ship’s engineers.
Two hours before torpedoes struck the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged vessel, he had spoken to his family and shown them videos of the ship, his accommodation and workspace.
“It turned out to be our last call with Suraj; we spoke around 11am. He was so excited about his job,” his uncle said. “He often spoke to me about his plans for the family, for his brothers. Suraj was the responsible one; he decided early in life to support his family.”
His uncle said the family was inconsolable. “When you lose a child at such a young age, what can you say?” said Mr Yadav. “If I can barely talk, imagine what state his parents are in. I can’t give them enough courage; nothing anyone says is enough. We are waiting for Suraj’s body now so we can do the last rites.”
The family said Indian authorities had told them that Suraj’s body had been retrieved. The Indian embassy in Muscat said it was co-ordinating with Omani authorities on the repatriation formalities. Suraj's family has urged the countries involved in the conflict to stop putting innocent sailors at risk.
“Why are they killing our children?” Mr Yadav said. “I want to tell them: don’t attack other people’s children, leave them alone. These countries have a problem with each other, so they must fight each other. This aggression on innocent sailors must be condemned.”
Ships can be repaired; life is lost forever
Seafarer associations have demanded stronger protections for sailors, who they say are increasingly being exposed to attacks during the conflict.
Neither Iran nor the US has taken responsibility for the strike on Cape Dao. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre said the ship was struck twice, hitting the bridge and accommodation area.
Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India, has been in contact with the panic-stricken Cape Dao crew.
“The men were terrified; they were crying. They said they survived because they were on the other side of the ship,” Mr Yadav said. “The attacks are well planned and executed. After speaking to many sailors on ships hit, it's very clear that the engine room, accommodation area and bridge are usually attacked.”
Mr Yadav said condolences and concerns expressed by governments were not enough and called on maritime authorities to take action to protect merchant ships and their crews.
“When the engine room is hit, it is repaired in the dry dock, cargo is shifted to another vessel, so ultimately the cargo is safe, the ship is repaired, but you cannot get a sailor’s life back,” he said. “Whether it is attacks by Iran or the US, why kill sailors from nationalities that have nothing to do with this conflict? Sailors are civilians, and we must ensure their safety.”
The Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas supplies were transported before the war, has become a major flashpoint in the conflict. After Tehran closed the strait, the US military blocked access to Iranian ports, leaving merchant ships caught in the crossfire as both sides struck and disabled vessels transiting the vital waterway.
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar criticised attacks on seafarers and commercial ships as “unacceptable” in an address to the UN General Assembly. The country has joined 24 nations to rally global public opinion against unwarranted attacks on shipping.
“The targeting of commercial shipping and seafarers transiting international waterways is simply unacceptable,” Mr Jaishankar told the UN. “India calls upon all parties to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions and ensure protection of civilians.”
