On Wednesday, the family of Heramb Karmarkar, a 30-year-old marine engineer from Pune, confirmed his death following an attack on the merchant vessel GFS Galaxy near the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. Karmarkar had been missing since the incident, which occurred while the vessel was carrying Indian nationals. The Ministry of External Affairs reported that 10 Indian nationals on board were rescued, with one person still missing. Vivek Tandon, Karmarkar’s father-in-law, verified the news of his death, appealing to the Indian government to ensure his body is returned home intact. The attack on the GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship, was attributed to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps by the US Central Command. India has condemned the attack, describing the ongoing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region as deeply worrisome. The Indian Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Omani authorities in the search and rescue operation. The embassy expressed gratitude to the Omani authorities for their support and stated that officials are in close contact with the vessel’s management and stakeholders, providing all possible assistance. The incident has heightened tensions in the waters around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy security, with about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil passing through it.
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📰 Source: Siasat Gulf