New Delhi: A fire was reported aboard an oil tanker carrying 24 Indian seafarers off the coast of Oman on Monday, as Israel and Iran exchanged fresh attacks in their first major escalation since the ceasefire.
The Madagascar-flagged MT Marivex reported a fire around 1.30 pm IST, Opesh Kumar Sharma, a director in India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said at a news briefing.
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Sharma declined to comment on the cause of the fire but said the vessel was carrying 24 Indian crew members.
The tanker was empty and located well outside the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route that has been affected by regional tensions, he said.
"This is the preliminary information which we have received... as per available information, all Indian seafarers are safe," Sharma said.
"We are coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, our missions abroad, Indian Navy, Ministry of Defence, to ensure their safety."
Ship-tracking data showed the vessel at anchor south of Muscat.
The tanker issued a distress call after reportedly coming under attack while sailing toward the Omani port of Duqm, according to preliminary reports.
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The incident came as Israel and Iran renewed hostilities. Israel on Monday struck a petrochemical facility in southwestern Iran and carried out attacks on other military targets, despite reports that US President Donald Trump had urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid further military action.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps accused the United States of violating the ceasefire and said it had retaliated by launching missiles at a similar facility in the Israeli city of Haifa.
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