Smoke billows from MT Jalveer following a fire near Oman's Shinas coast. Photo: @sidhant/X
A ship carrying seafarers from India caught fire off the coast of Oman on Thursday, June 11, becoming the third vessel linked to Indian crew members to be involved in a maritime incident in the region within four days.
The vessel, MT Jalveer, reported a fire in its engine room and funnel near the Shinas offshore anchorage area in northern Oman, prompting a rescue operation by Omani authorities.
According to reports, the tanker had 20 crew members on board when the incident occurred. The Oman Coast Guard dispatched a rescue boat several hours later to assist those aboard the vessel.
In a statement on X, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said MT Jalveer had been disabled in the Gulf of Oman after it allegedly attempted to transport Iranian oil in violation of a US-imposed blockade.
CENTCOM said a US aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces.
In a statement, the Indian Embassy in Muscat said it was in touch with Omani authorities and was following developments closely.
“We have learnt of an incident involving a vessel off Shinas port of Oman earlier today. We are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the local authorities for further details,” the embassy said.
It later said the evacuation of the crew from MT Jalveer to Shinas port was being coordinated with assistance from the Royal Navy of Oman and would be completed shortly.
The fire comes amid growing security concerns in Gulf waters, where commercial vessels have faced a series of disruptions in recent days.
On June 8, MT Marivex, a Palau-flagged vessel carrying 24 Indian seafarers, was struck during a US military operation in regional waters. Omani authorities rescued all crew members and no injuries were reported.
The following day, June 9, vessel MT Settebello was involved in another incident. Twenty-one Indian sailors were rescued, while three crew members — Aditya Sharma, Shivanand Chaurasiya and Patnala Suresh — lost their lives.
This post was last modified on June 11, 2026 6:53 pm