The Director General of Shipping, in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian embassy in Baghdad, is working to repatriate the body of Deonandan Prasad Singh, a 54-year-old additional chief engineer from Kandivli. Singh was aboard the oil tanker MT Safesea Vishnu, flagged in the Marshall Islands, when it was attacked by Iranian forces last Thursday. Reports indicate that Singh’s body could return to India once airspace restrictions are lifted this week.
The incident occurred near Khor Al Zubair Port in Basra, Iraq, where Singh, among 17 Indian crew members, sustained severe injuries that led to his death. Prior to the attack, he spoke with his family, assuring them of his safety. However, shortly after, he called to inform them that the ship was on fire and subsequently became unreachable.
According to a source from Mumbai’s DG Shipping office, the repatriation of Singh’s body and the rescued crew will proceed once the necessary local formalities are completed and airspace reopens. The timeline for their return is expected to be next week, contingent on these developments.
Singh, originally from Bihar, moved to Mumbai in 2019. He is survived by his wife Kumkum, a daughter studying medicine, and a son pursuing a management course in the United States.
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