Muscat, June 14: An Indian sailor named Nishant Urthanathan tragically passed away on Thursday due to health complications while aboard the MT Celestial, docked at Duqm Port in Oman. The Indian Embassy in Muscat has confirmed that they are in contact with the family and are actively working to repatriate his body to India.
The embassy reported on social media that they are in continuous communication with Nishant’s family, the crew members of the ship, and relevant authorities. Unfortunately, he succumbed to medical issues. Efforts are underway to expedite the process of bringing his remains back to India.
Earlier, the Indian Embassy had announced on Saturday (June 13) via social media that Nishant died aboard the motor tanker MT Celestial.
The embassy stated, “Indian citizen Nishant Urthanathan passed away due to health complications. His body is currently on the vessel docked at Duqm Port. The embassy is in constant contact with the ship management company and coordinating with all relevant parties.”
The embassy expressed condolences to the grieving family, emphasizing that necessary arrangements are being made to send Nishant’s body back to India as soon as possible.
In a related incident, three Indian sailors lost their lives due to damage inflicted on three Indian vessels during a U.S. strike. India lodged a strong protest with the U.S. regarding the attack on the Palauan-flagged MT Settabello. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar raised the issue in a conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday.
Jaishankar later posted on social media, stating, “I spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. I reiterated India’s strong protest against the U.S. Navy’s attacks in the Gulf, which resulted in the deaths of three Indian sailors.” He added, “Such lethal attacks on commercial vessels are unacceptable.”
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which has been enforcing a blockade in Hormuz, claimed that their directives were not followed, prompting the attacks.
Previously, India summoned Jason Meeks, the chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, to register its objections. A senior diplomat was also summoned on Wednesday night. U.S. military forces attacked the Palauan-flagged oil tanker Maryvex on June 8, but all 24 Indian sailors aboard were safely rescued. Additionally, the Guinean-flagged tanker Jalveer was attacked on Thursday (June 11), with 20 Indian nationals on board.
Leave a Comment