The Indian Navy on Monday rescued 24 Indian seafarers after a fire broke out aboard the Palau-flagged tanker MT Marivex off the coast of Oman.
According to Indian authorities, all crew members were safely evacuated from the vessel using Indian Navy helicopters. Officials did not disclose the cause of the fire.
India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said the incident was reported at around 1:30 p.m. local time (0800 GMT).
"There has been a fire reported on a vessel, MT Marivex, on which there were 24 Indian seafarers... all Indian seafarers are safe," ministry director Opesh Kumar Sharma told reporters.
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Images shared by the Forward Seamen's Union of India on social media showed crew members being winched to safety by helicopters as thick black smoke engulfed the vessel's bridge and accommodation block.
Data from ship-tracking platform MarineTraffic showed the tanker positioned off the coast of Oman, south of the capital, Muscat, at the time of the incident.
Authorities have not provided details on the extent of the damage to the vessel or the circumstances that may have triggered the blaze.
The incident comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions in West Asia. Iran has largely restricted shipping movements through the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of its conflict with the United States and Israel on February 28. The strategic waterway typically handles nearly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments during normal conditions.
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Earlier on Monday, New Delhi expressed concern over the escalating regional conflict.
"This conflict has now lasted over 100 days and has already caused immense human suffering," India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
"It has also had a debilitating impact on the global economy and energy supplies."
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