LNG Carrier Al Mayeda Hit in Persian Gulf, All 25 Crew Safe
The Marshall Islands-flagged LNG carrier M/T Al Mayeda was struck by a projectile in the Persian Gulf, the busy waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, on Friday, 30 October. All 25 crew members on board, including six Indian nationals, are reported safe.
India’s Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, shared the update on X on Saturday, 31 October. He said the Indian Government is closely following the situation and is in direct contact with the ship’s management company. In his words, the six Indians “along with the entire 25-member crew, are completely safe.” Details of damage to the ship and the nationalities of the other crew members have not been made public.
The attack is one of several on merchant ships in the Gulf region in the same week. A day earlier, the minister had confirmed that all 29 Indian crew on two tankers hit on 29 and 30 October were unharmed, including the 27 Indian seafarers on the Panama-flagged MT Louise 1, which was hit by limpet mines near Khasab, Oman. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has said that 22 Indian nationals, including 14 seafarers, have lost their lives since the West Asia conflict began.
At the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Friday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar again raised India’s concern over attacks on civilian shipping and the risks faced by seafarers.
For seafarers, the incident is another reminder that gas carriers as well as tankers are being targeted in the Gulf. Crews trading in the area are expected to follow company security plans, latest UKMTO and naval advisories, and their rights under the agreed warlike-area terms, while families can seek updates through the ship manager and DG Shipping’s communication channels.
