The government on Saturday confirmed that two Indian-flagged LPG carriers had crossed the Strait of Hormuz and were expected to reach ports in Gujarat early next week.

“There were 24 Indian-flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf, to the west of the Strait of Hormuz. Among these, two… the Shivalik and the Nanda Devi… safely transited the Strait of Hormuz late last night/ early this morning,” Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary, port, shipping and waterways ministry, said at an inter-ministerial media briefing.

Iran had on Friday evening indicated it would provide safe passage to Indian ships through the Strait, and Reuters had reported at night that two Indian-flagged LPG carriers had been cleared to sail.

Shivalik and Nanda Devi are carrying approximately 92,700 tonnes of LPG and are expected to arrive at the Mundra and Kandla ports, respectively, on March 16 and 17, Sinha said.

The 22 Indian vessels that remain in the Persian Gulf include six LPG carriers, one LNG carrier, four crude-oil tankers, one chemical products tanker, three container ships, two bulk carriers, one dredger and one empty ballast vessel (not carrying any cargo). The remaining three are dry docks, meaning they are under repair and maintenance.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “Several of our (remaining 22) ships remain on standby in the Gulf region.”

He said India proposed to “coordinate with all concerned countries to ensure a safe and unimpeded transit for them”.

Three Indian ships have now passed safely through the war-hit, narrow shipping lane, closed effectively since the first week of March, PTI reported.

Oil tanker Jag Prakash, carrying gasoline from Oman to Africa, had crossed the Strait on Friday and is expected to reach Tanga in Tanzania on March 21.

Sinha said all Indian seafarers in the Gulf were safe, with no incidents reported over the past 24 hours.

He said 30 Indian seafarers had been brought back to the country over the past one day, taking the total repatriations to 253.

“The remaining 22 vessels (to the west of the Strait) have 611 seafarers,” PTI quoted Sinha as saying. Three Indian-flagged vessels remain stuck to the east of the Strait, with 76 seafarers on board.

Six vessels arrived from different parts of the world at Indian ports and were given safe anchorage, PTI quoted Sinha as saying.

Fertiliser stocks

Asked about the availability of fertilisers in the context of the West Asia conflict, Jaiswal said India had more than adequate stocks, especially for the kharif season.

“Our diammonium phosphate stocks are double of what they were last year. Our nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium stock position is similarly much higher today in comparison to last year,” he said.