'Crossed Hormuz Safely': Pune Sailor Messaged Wife Hours Before Attack

The family of 30-year-old marine engineer Herambh Karmarkar from Pune is waiting for his body to be brought back home following his death in an attack on a Cyprus-flagged commercial vessel off Oman's coast amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

According to the family, well before the attack, Karmarkar had messaged his wife after their vessel safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway whose control has become a key point of contention between the US and Iran.

The container ship GFS Galaxy was attacked early on Sunday when it was transiting the strait between Iran and Oman that is a global energy choke point.

Karmarkar's family members said he was on board the ship that was attacked. Following the seafarer's death in the attack, his body was handed over to the Oman Navy.

"We are awaiting his mortal remains, which are currently with the Oman Navy. Herambh had been on the vessel for the last five months and was due to sign off soon," his father-in-law Vivek Tandon said on Wednesday.

Tandon said his son-in-law messaged his wife at 2.49 am (IST) that his vessel had crossed the Hormuz safely.

Karmarkar is survived by his wife, mother and younger sister. He had completed his marine engineering from the City of Glasgow College in the UK and joined the merchant navy, Tandon informed.

The family declined to share further details.

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