An oil tanker carrying 27 Indian crew members came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating regional tensions. The Panama-flagged vessel, MT Louis-1, was targeted with explosions triggered by limpet mines. The Union Government confirmed that all crew members escaped unharmed.
The incident occurred on Thursday, 25 nautical miles off the coast of Oman. Assailants approaching in a small boat reportedly attached two limpet mines to the ship’s hull. The resulting blasts sparked a fire in the engine room, forcing the tanker to halt temporarily. The crew acted swiftly to douse the flames and resumed the vessel’s voyage. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the incident caused no environmental damage.
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed that all 27 Indian nationals aboard MT Louis-1 are safe. He noted that another vessel, MT Arjana, had been attacked in the same strait a day earlier, on October 29, with two Indians on board. Together, 29 Indian seafarers across the two incidents are reported safe.
The minister said the Government of India is closely monitoring the situation and remains in coordination with the ship management companies concerned.
Limpet mines are magnetic explosive devices that are fixed to ship hulls, typically from small boats. Iran has been accused of using such attacks to target vessels that violate its shipping restrictions in the strategically vital waterway. Attacks on commercial vessels in the region have risen over the past several months.