Six Indian Seafarers Safe After Projectile Strike on LNG Carrier in Persian Gulf

A Marshall Islands-flagged LNG carrier, M/T AL MAYEDA, carrying six Indian seafarers, was targeted in a projectile attack in the Persian Gulf on 30 October 2026. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed that all six Indian nationals, along with the entire 25-member crew, are completely safe. India is continuously monitoring the situation and remains in close contact with the ship management company to ensure the seafarers' security and well-being.

<p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A Marshall Islands-flagged liquefied natural gas carrier carrying six Indian seafarers was struck by a projectile in the Persian Gulf on 30 October 2026, marking another incident in the escalating maritime security crisis that has exposed Indian crews to direct risk in the Gulf corridor . Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed in a social media post that all six Indian nationals, along with the entire 25-member crew, were completely safe following the attack on the vessel, identified as M/T AL MAYEDA .<a href="https://newsonair.gov.in/six-indians-safe-after-attack-on-lng-carrier-in-persian-gulf/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="1" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The minister stated that India is continuously monitoring the situation and remains in close contact with the ship management company to ensure the ongoing security and well-being of Indian seafarers . The response follows the pattern established in previous incidents this month, where the government has prioritised crew safety and maintained direct communication with operators to verify the status of Indian nationals on board targeted vessels.<a href="https://newsonair.gov.in/six-indians-safe-after-attack-on-lng-carrier-in-persian-gulf/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="1" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The attack on the LNG carrier occurred within the same 48-hour window as two other incidents involving Indian seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz. On 29 October, the Liberia-flagged VLCC MT ARZANAH, carrying two Indian nationals, was targeted, and on 30 October, the Panama-flagged crude oil tanker MT LOUISE 1, carrying 27 Indian seafarers, sustained damage from what was reported as a limpet mine strike . Sonowal confirmed that all 29 Indian seafarers across those two vessels were safe with no injuries, bringing the total number of Indian crew confirmed safe across the three incidents to 35 .<a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/india/global-south-bears-the-burden-jaishankar-flags-hormuz-ship-attacks-risks-to-indian-seafarers-article-156439893" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="6" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><a href="https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/usa-news/global-south-bears-burden-at-g20-foreign-ministers-meeting-jaishankar-flags-attacks-on-ships-and-indian-seafarers-in-hormuz/amp/?utm=relatedarticles" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="11" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar raised the broader implications of these attacks at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta on 30 October, stating that the Global South was disproportionately bearing the consequences of attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers, jeopardising the availability and cost of fuel, food, and fertilisers . He called for urgent steps to preserve freedom of navigation and ensure the cessation of attacks within the framework of international law, particularly UNCLOS, and noted that India and Liberia had launched a joint initiative to safeguard seafarers .<a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/india/global-south-bears-the-burden-jaishankar-flags-hormuz-ship-attacks-risks-to-indian-seafarers-article-156439893" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="6" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><a href="https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/usa-news/global-south-bears-burden-at-g20-foreign-ministers-meeting-jaishankar-flags-attacks-on-ships-and-indian-seafarers-in-hormuz/amp/?utm=relatedarticles" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="11" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The frequency of attacks on vessels carrying Indian crew reflects India's position as a major supplier of maritime labour and its dependence on Gulf shipping routes for energy imports. The LNG carrier attack is particularly significant because LNG cargoes from the Gulf are a critical component of India's energy supply, and any disruption to that trade affects not only shipping companies but also the power and industrial sectors that depend on gas.<p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">UKMTO data for the week ending 30 October showed that attacks on commercial vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz reached their highest monthly level in the Iran-US war in October, with more than 30 incidents reported, more than double September's total . The agency has recorded 145 incidents since the war began on 28 February, and it assesses the maritime security threat level in the region as "severe" .<a href="https://congthuong.vn/chien-su-trung-dong-ngay-31-10-hoat-dong-van-tai-qua-hormuz-o-muc-thap-479291.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="2" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/31/attacks-on-ships-transiting-hormuz-in-october-highest-since-start-of-war/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="12" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Looking ahead, the safety of Indian seafarers will remain a live concern as long as the Gulf security environment remains unstable. The government's close monitoring and contact with ship management companies is an appropriate reactive posture, but the recurring nature of these incidents suggests that Indian crews will continue to face risk on Gulf routes regardless of flag or ownership. The joint India-Liberia initiative on seafarer safety, announced by Jaishankar, may provide a diplomatic channel for addressing the issue, but its practical impact will depend on whether it can influence the behaviour of the parties conducting the attacks.

Six Indian Seafarers Safe After Projectile Strike on LNG Carrier in Persian Gulf

Haulage Times Daily Intelligence