- Devanandan Prasad Singh, an Indian engineer, died in an underwater drone strike near Iraq
- He served as additional chief engineer on the US-owned oil tanker Safesea Vishnu
- Fifteen other Indian crew members were rescued and are currently safe and cared for
Devanandan Prasad Singh, in his mid-50s, had shifted from his longtime home Bihar to Mumbai in 2019 along with his family - wife, and two children. A marine engineer, he sailed the oceans with a small crew in cargo ships, taking care of them.
Two days ago, an underwater drone had struck an oil tanker near Iraq. The authorities had confirmed an Indian sailor had died in the explosion whose visuals showed a massive ball of fire piercing the black night.
That sailor was Devanandan Prasad Singh, a resident of Mumbai's Kandivali East, officials said today. Singh served as the additional chief engineer (superintendent) on the US-owned crude oil tanker.
Amid the US-Iran war in the Middle East, the Islamic nation had claimed a coordinated underwater drone strike on two vessels in the Persian Gulf, one of which was the crude oil tanker Safesea Vishnu in which Singh served as an engineer.
Singh received critical injuries following the drone attack on the tanker, officials said. He died during treatment, they said. Fifteen other Indians were rescued from the burning vessel.
His wife and two children are devastated.
On getting information about the matter, maritime agencies and authorities began formal processes to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack on the oil tanker.
The shipping firm's management and stakeholders have expressed condolences over Singh's death. The company said it will give every possible help and support to Singh's family.
The remaining crew members are safe and in good care, it added. The Indian Embassy in Baghdad had confirmed the casualty on the day of the attack.
Iran had previously warned it would target ships attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint through which roughly 20 per cent of global oil supply moves. The US-Israeli military campaign against Iran and the Islamic nation's counterattacks have not slowed down.
