A fire erupted on a cargo vessel off the coast of Oman earlier this month, leaving 24-year-old Indian seafarer K. Gopianan unaccounted for. In his last communication with his father, Gopianan reported, “There is a fire on the ship,” and mentioned he was following the captain’s orders. Since that call, there has been no further contact.
More than two weeks post-incident, Gopianan’s family has expressed frustration over the lack of formal updates from the ship’s manning agent or owners regarding search efforts or accountability. This situation raises concerns about adherence to India’s marine casualty reporting regulations and the safety of seafarers hired through private agencies.
Gopianan, who worked as a cook on the MV WARBA, departed from Tamil Nadu on January 22, traveling to Mumbai and then flying to Muscat, the vessel’s boarding point. He had only been at sea for two weeks when the fire broke out on February 8 while the ship was en route to Africa.
Kamaraj, Gopianan’s father, who operates a small mess in Tiruchy, noted, “I spoke to my son when the fire broke out. After that, there was complete silence.” The family learned of Gopianan’s missing status on February 9 through a call from the ship’s master, Captain Bhoominathan.
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