Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], June 19 (ANI): The Federation of Seamen’s Unions of India (FSUI) on Friday demanded Rs 10 crore compensation for the family of a Marine Engineer who was killed in a military strike on the commercial vessel MT Settebello off the coast of Oman, while strongly condemning the incident and the alleged delay in response from the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government.
Speaking to ANI, FSUI leader Padmanabha Raju condemned the attack and said Indian crew members were among those on board the vessel. 24 Indian seafarers were working on the vessel, and three of them lost their lives in the attack, he added.
‘We severely condemn the incident that occurred in the Oman Gulf on June 11th, in which the US attacked on board tank oil tanker MT Front Altair. In that oil tanker, 24 Indian seafarers are working. In those 24, three people, three seafarers, were killed in that attack. In those three, Patnala Suresh, who is a resident of Visakhapatnam, has also been killed,’ Raju said.
He said the union strongly condemned the incident and questioned the response of the central government. ‘We are condemning the attack by the US on the oil tanker. We severely condemn,’ he added.
Targeting the Centre over the issue, Raju added, ‘The government headed by Modi is a close friend of Trump, the President of the US. But, the Central Government has failed to condemn the incident immediately, and to get compensation from either the US or not been announced by the Central Government, nor announced by the State Government, which is an NDA government in Andhra Pradesh.’
The FSUI has demanded that the family of the deceased seafarer be provided Rs 10 crore as compensation and urged both the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government to extend immediate support to the bereaved family.
The vessel, MT Settebello, came under fire on June 10 after US forces accused it of violating the ongoing naval blockade on Iranian ports. Of the 24 Indian crew members on board, 21 were rescued by Omani authorities, while three were later confirmed dead.
On June 12, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said he conveyed India’s strong protest to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the attacks that killed three Indian mariners. The Ministry of External Affairs had also lodged a protest with the US Charge d’Affaires regarding the attacks on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman.
Later, the US Department of State, in a statement, said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in his telephonic conversation with Jaishankar, stressed that all commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz must adhere to orders by the US.
Meanwhile, at the G7 Summit, which took place in Evian, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over the impact of disruptions in maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz on the global economy during the conflict in West Asia and noted how Indian civilians lost their lives.
Crucially, the Prime Minister advocated for the protection of commercial crew members operating in volatile maritime zones, raising concerns about the safety of Indian seafarers amid tensions in the Gulf region. Asserting that the welfare of Indian sailors remains a priority for India, the Prime Minister stated, ‘I believe the safety of Indian seafarers is critical.’
He added that he was confident the security of seafarers would receive priority under the emerging peace understanding in the region. (ANI)
