An Indian citizen was killed Wednesday when the cargo ship MV Cape Dao came under attack off the coast of Oman while en route to India, the Indian Embassy in Muscat confirmed.
The vessel was struck during the incident, which resulted in a fire in the engine room. Oman's Maritime Security Centre said it evacuated 27 crew members following the attack near Muscat province. One crew member died in the incident.
India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that 20 Indian sailors were aboard the ship. Of those, 19 were rescued; one Indian citizen died. The Forward Seamen's Union of India identified the deceased as Suraj Yadav, a resident of Deoria in Uttar Pradesh, who worked as a wiper on the vessel.
The Indian Embassy said it is coordinating closely with Omani authorities regarding the safety of all crew members on the ship. The embassy expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and said it is in contact with local authorities and the shipping company to ensure necessary assistance is provided to affected Indian citizens and to facilitate their repatriation.
The attack occurred in waters near the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane bordered by Iran on one side and Oman on the other. The region has experienced increased maritime security risks in recent weeks, with multiple incidents targeting commercial vessels and oil tankers reported in the area near Oman's coast. These incidents have coincided with a decline in transit traffic through one of the world's most important shipping passages.