India on Monday said a fire was reported on an oil tanker, Marivex, off the coast of Oman with 24 Indian sailors on board, even as earlier reports had flagged a suspected attack on a commercial vessel in the same region near the Strait of Hormuz.
The ministry of shipping said all crew members were safe and that the situation was under close monitoring in coordination with multiple agencies.
The Madagascar-flagged vessel was not carrying cargo, Opesh Kumar Sharma, a director in the federal port and shipping ministry, told a press conference.
He said, "All Indian seafarers are presently safe. We are coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, our Indian missions abroad, the Indian Navy, and the Ministry of Defence to ensure their safety," Sharma said.
He added that the cause of the fire, which broke out at 1.30 p.m. local time, was not immediately known.
Earlier, the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) had sought urgent assistance for Indian crew members aboard a vessel it said was in distress off Oman in a high-risk maritime zone.
In a post on X, the union said, "Indian Navy in Harmouz 24 Indian Seafarers seeking urgent assistance at 2057.07N 059 degree 0813 off coast Oman onboard @IndiannavyMedia @MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar @shipmin_india @ITFglobalunion."
The FSUI did not specify the nature of the reported incident or the vessel involved and there was no immediate official confirmation at the time regarding an attack.
Maritime sources had earlier suggested the vessel may have been sailing near the Strait of Hormuz when it allegedly came under a suspected drone or missile strike, causing an explosion in the engine room and triggering a major fire, though these claims have not been independently verified.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns in West Asian waters, with shipping routes near the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints—under increased surveillance due to ongoing regional tensions.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation, with further details awaited on the condition of the vessel and the Indian crew.
Separately, reports note that an Indian dhow had recently faced a maritime incident off the coast of Oman in earlier weeks, though all 14 crew members on board were safely rescued by the Omani Coast Guard.