Oil tanker attacked off Muscat coast, one crew member killed

Muscat: An oil tanker flying the flag of the Republic of the Marshall Islands was attacked by an unmanned boat approximately 52 nautical miles off the coast of Muscat Governorate, resulting in a fire, an explosion and the death of one crew member, according to an official statement.

The Maritime Security Centre stated that the tanker (MKD VYOM) was carrying approximately 59,463 metric tonnes of cargo at the time of the incident. The attack caused a fire and an explosion in the main engine room, leading to the death of an Indian crew member.

In coordination with the Maritime Security Centre, the vessel’s crew of 21 members was evacuated by the commercial ship (MV SAND), which flies the flag of the Republic of Panama. The evacuated crew included 16 Indian nationals, four Bangladeshi nationals and one Ukrainian national.

A vessel from the Royal Navy of Oman continues to monitor the condition of the damaged tanker, while issuing the necessary navigational warnings to ships transiting the same maritime area.