Indian Embassy in Oman says it is tracking vessel incident off coast

The Indian Embassy in Oman said on Thursday that it was tracking a vessel incident off the Omani coast and coordinating with local authorities for details, as reporting later identified the ship as MT Jalveer.

Later coverage said all 20 Indian crew members aboard the vessel were safe and that evacuation efforts had begun. Reuters, as cited by other outlets, reported that the ship sent a distress call after a fire broke out off Oman's port of Shinas.

The embassy's first public statement did not identify the vessel or give a cause. It said only that it was monitoring the situation and working with local authorities.

What happened

The first report on the incident came from the Economic Times, which said the Indian Embassy in Oman was following a maritime incident near Shinas port. The report said the embassy was coordinating with local authorities for more information.

Subsequent reporting by Times of India identified the vessel as MT Jalveer and said the ship had come under attack off the Oman coast. The report said the 20 sailors aboard were safe and that evacuation had started.

The Economic Times later reported that India's foreign ministry described the West Asia shipping situation as deeply worrisome as the crew evacuation began.

Wider regional context

The incident comes amid heightened concern over shipping in the Gulf of Oman and near the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters reporting said this was the third vessel carrying Indian crew to be hit in the same week.

The same Reuters account said Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the ship as having been attacked by the U.S. navy. That account has not been independently confirmed in the material available here, and the initial embassy statement did not attribute responsibility.

Earlier in the week, three Indian seafarers were killed in a separate tanker strike in the Gulf of Oman, adding to India's concern about maritime security in the region.

What remains unclear

The verified reporting does not yet establish the exact cause of the fire or damage to MT Jalveer. It is also not clear from the available material whether Omani authorities have issued a separate public confirmation of the incident.

Further updates are expected on the vessel's condition, the full outcome of the evacuation, and any formal response from Omani, Indian or U.S. authorities.