An Indian national was killed on Monday after an oil tanker was struck by an explosive-laden unmanned boat off the coast of Muscat Governorate, news agency PTI reported citing local media reports.
In a statement, Oman's Ministry of Defence said that the Maritime Security Centre had reported an attack on the oil tanker MKD VYOM.
“The Maritime Security Centre reported that the oil tanker MKD VYOM was attacked by an unmanned boat 52 nautical miles off the coast of Muscat Governorate,” the ministry was quoted as saying by PTI.
The ministry stated that the attack caused a fire and an explosion in the tanker's engine room. It confirmed that one crew member died in the incident, while the remaining 21 crew members were evacuated. The ministry did not specify the nationality of the deceased crew member.
However, local media cited by PTI, identified the victim as an Indian national.
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“The attack caused a fire and an explosion in the main engine room, leading to the death of an Indian crew member," PTI reported citing the Oman Observer.
The report added that the evacuated crew consisted of 16 Indian nationals, four Bangladeshi nationals and one Ukrainian national.
Indian Embassy Issues Statement
Following the incident, the Embassy of India in Oman issued an official statement, expressing sorrow over the death of the Indian crew member.
In a post on X, the embassy said, “The Embassy of India expresses its deepest condolences on the tragic demise of an Indian national on board MKD Vyom.”
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The embassy added that it is coordinating closely with Omani authorities to assist those affected. “The Embassy is in close coordination with the local authorities in Oman to facilitate the safe and early repatriation of our nationals on board the vessel,” the statement said.
It further said, “We remain committed to extending all possible assistance in this matter.”
The Embassy of India expresses its deepest condolences on the tragic demise of an Indian national on board MKD Vyom.
— India in Oman (Embassy of India, Muscat) (@Indemb_Muscat) March 2, 2026
The Embassy is in close coordination with the local authorities in Oman to facilitate the safe and early repatriation of our nationals on board the vessel.
We…
Separate Tanker Attack In Strait of Hormuz
The incident occurred a day after another oil tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. In that earlier incident, the oil tanker MV Skylight came under attack, resulting in injuries to four crew members.
According to the Oman News Agency, the injured crew members aboard MV Skylight were from India and Iran.
On Monday, the Embassy of India in Oman said it was in constant contact with local authorities following the incident involving MV Skylight.
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In a post on X, the embassy said it was coordinating with Omani officials as search operations continued for missing crew members.
Mission remains in constant touch with Omani authorities who are carrying out search operations for missing crew members following the incident involving MV Skylight. We are also coordinating with officials in Oman for the repatriation of the crew members who have been rescued…
— India in Oman (Embassy of India, Muscat) (@Indemb_Muscat) March 2, 2026
“We are also coordinating with officials in Oman for the repatriation of the crew members who have been rescued from MV Skylight and will continue to render all possible assistance in the matter,” the embassy said.
Notably, the Strait of Hormuz, where the earlier tanker attack took place, lies between Oman and Iran and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
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