14 Indians Rescued After Dhow Sinks Off Oman Coast; US Navy, Merchant Ship Join Effort

A dhow carrying 14 Indian nationals reportedly began sinking off the coast of Oman on Sunday, triggering an emergency rescue operation involving the United States Navy, the Indian Navy and a nearby merchant vessel.

According to government sources, the US Navy alerted shore authorities and the Indian Navy after receiving information that the dhow was in distress around 80 nautical miles east of Ras Al Hadd, Oman, on the morning of June 14.

A US Navy P-8 maritime patrol aircraft responded to the emergency by dropping a life raft near the vessel and monitoring the evacuation. The crew members subsequently boarded the life raft after the dhow reportedly started sinking.

The US Navy also coordinated assistance from a nearby merchant vessel, MV Jabal Ali 9, a St Kitts and Nevis-flagged ship travelling from Sohar to Mumbai. Government sources said the vessel was requested by the P-8 aircraft to proceed towards the distressed dhow and render assistance.

Officials confirmed that all 14 people onboard the dhow are Indian nationals. Their condition was not immediately known, and authorities were closely monitoring the rescue operation.

The incident occurred off Oman's eastern coast, a region that has gained strategic importance amid ongoing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints.

The rescue comes as commercial shipping and maritime operations in the region continue to face disruptions linked to the wider Middle East conflict. Reuters reported this week that vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains below pre-conflict levels despite signs of a possible diplomatic breakthrough between the United States and Iran. The agency also reported fresh military activity near the waterway, including the interception of drones headed towards the strait.

Meanwhile, concerns over the safety and welfare of Indian seafarers in the region have intensified after the Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI) appealed for urgent intervention in the case of an Indian officer who allegedly died aboard a vessel off the coast of Oman.

According to posts shared by the union on X, 35-year-old Second Officer Nishanth Uirthanathan from Tamil Nadu fell seriously ill and died aboard the MT Celestial on June 11.

The FSUI alleged that delays in medical evacuation amid regional tensions contributed to his death. The union further claimed that the body has remained onboard for more than two days without proper refrigeration, forcing crew members to use cold water bottles in an attempt to slow decomposition.

The union also shared a video in which the ship's captain allegedly demonstrated the improvised preservation efforts and appealed to Indian authorities for immediate assistance in repatriating the body. The captain further claimed that the shipowner had abandoned its responsibilities and was not providing adequate support to the vessel or its crew.

Tagging the Indian Embassy in Muscat, the Ministry of External Affairs, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and other authorities, the FSUI urged swift action to preserve and repatriate the mortal remains and provide assistance to the crew.

In a separate post, the union alleged that a medical visa or evacuation costing just 10 Omani Riyals (around Rs 2,473) could have saved the officer's life. It accused the shipowner of negligence and called for accountability over both the handling of the medical emergency and the delay in repatriating the body.

The allegations made by the FSUI and the ship's captain have not been independently verified. There has been no immediate response from the shipowner or the relevant authorities regarding the claims.