One Indian seafarer is missing after an attack on the commercial vessel MT El Gaia off the coast of Oman, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sunday. Of the 14 Indian crew members on board, 13 have been rescued, while search and rescue operations continue for the missing seafarer.
“We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel MT El Gaia off the coast of Oman earlier today. Search and Rescue operations for the missing Indian national are continuing,” the MEA stated. The Indian Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Omani authorities involved in the ongoing search and rescue efforts. The ministry also thanked the Omani authorities for their assistance in bringing the rescued Indian nationals safely ashore. The Omani authorities are continuing SAR efforts for the one missing crew member. We thank the Omani authorities for their continued support and assistance,” the Embassy stated on X.
Of the 14 Indian crew onboard, 13 Indians have been rescued so far. “The Mission is closely monitoring the Search and Rescue (SAR) operations for the 14 Indian nationals on board the Panama-flagged tanker El Gaia. SAR operations for 13 Indian nationals have been completed, and they have been shifted ashore safely. The latest incident comes weeks after the MEA condemned an attack on the Indian-flagged commercial vessel MSV Faize Noore Oliya, which sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen on August 4, 2026.
