Thirty-eight Indian-flagged ships, mostly carrying crude oil and liquefied natural gas, were stranded in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, leaving nearly 1,100 Indian seafarers unable to sail amid escalating conflict in West Asia. Shipping authorities also confirmed that three Indian sailors have died and one was injured in separate attacks on foreign-flagged vessels off an Omani port.
The government says roughly 23,000 Indian seafarers routinely operate in the conflict-hit region and their safety remains a top priority. At a review meeting on Tuesday, Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal directed officials, including the Director General of Shipping, to step up measures to protect Indian crew and maritime assets. The DG said there have been “no confirmed instances of casualty, detention or boarding involving Indian-flagged vessels.”
Officials briefed the minister that 24 Indian-flagged ships are stuck west of the Strait of Hormuz and 14 are stranded to the east. DG Shipping reported four incidents involving Indian nationals in the region — three fatal and one injurious — all occurring on foreign-flagged ships. Since the conflict began, at least five tankers have been damaged and about 150 ships are reported stranded around the strait.
The tensions have disrupted normal shipping lanes, leading several container carriers to suspend services to West Asia and reroute vessels around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope. Sunil Vaswani, executive director of the Container Shipping Lines Association (India), said many lines have halted Gulf sailings for safety while maintaining long‑haul services to the US, Europe and Mediterranean. “Those going through Suez have rerouted through the Cape of Good Hope. Transit time will be longer but safer,” he said, warning that longer routes and extra sailings will raise operational costs.
Ports and shipping lines are already feeling the strain: authorities confirmed about 1,000 containers are currently delayed at Indian ports. Vessels bound for the Gulf are being terminated at hubs such as Fujairah, Sohar or Khor Fakkan, with onward land transport used where possible; Sohar is roughly 170 km from Dubai. Exporter Sanjay Pansare said some 150 containers of fruit and vegetables — including bananas, pomegranates, watermelons and onions — are among the consignments now stuck because of the disruption.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/west-asia-crisis-38-indian-ships-stuck-in-persian-gulf-3-sailors-dead/articleshow/128989621.cms
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Publish Date: 2026-03-04 01:20:00
