Pune marine engineer missing after Strait of Hormuz vessel attack confirmed dead

Pune-based marine engineer Heramb Karmarkar, who went missing after the merchant vessel GFS Galaxy was attacked near Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, has been confirmed dead. His family urged the Centre to ensure his body is brought home with dignity.

Pune: Heramb Karmarkar, a marine engineer from Pune who had gone missing following an attack on the merchant vessel ‘GFX Galaxy’ near the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, has died, his family confirmed on Wednesday.

The commercial vessel GFS Galaxy, carrying Indian nationals off the coast of Oman, was attacked on Sunday. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had stated that 10 of the Indian nationals on board were rescued, while one person is still reportedly missing.

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Karmarkar’s father-in-law, Vivek Tandon, verified the report of his death.

Speaking to IANS, Vivek Tandon said, “He was a 30-year-old young man, not an elderly person. Our only request to the Government of India is that his body be handed over to us intact and brought home.”

Earlier, India condemned the attack, terming the continuous incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region “deeply worrisome.”

The MEA said that the Indian Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing Search and Rescue operation. It also thanked the Omani authorities for their support.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Oman said that it is closely monitoring the incident involving the vessel GFS Galaxy. It further said that its officials are in close contact with the Omani authorities, the vessel’s management, and the concerned stakeholders, and is extending all possible assistance.

US Central Command had said that GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship, was attacked by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) when transiting the Strait of Hormuz, leaving a crew member missing.

“Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed. In response, the United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the strait. The strikes are being carried out at the direction of the Commander in Chief,” it had said.

The incident occurred amid heightened tensions in the waters around the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and is critical to global energy security.