A 35-year-old man from the Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh was one of three Indian crew members who died in an attack on merchant ships from the US military off the coast of Oman, family members and official sources said on Thursday.
The victim, Shivanand Chaurasia, a resident of Surauli village in Deoria district, was working as an engine fitter on the tanker and was employed by a foreign shipping company.
According to sources, the attack occurred on June 10 when the tanker was targeted. There were 24 Indian crew members on board; while 21 crew members were rescued, three went missing. Their bodies were recovered on Thursday.
The news of Shivanand's death brought deep sorrow to his village, with family members emotionally distressed upon receiving the tragic information.
His father, Ramji Chaurasia, shared with PTI that Shivanand had moved to Mumbai about eight months ago before joining the shipping company.
"We last spoke to him the night before yesterday. He told us everything was fine. Now we have received the news that he is no more," the grieving father said.
Family members said they were informed about the incident by Shivanand's brother, who works in Dubai.
Police officials visited the family's residence and collected details regarding the incident.
Shivanand is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
India on Thursday said three merchant ships with Indian crew members came under attack from American military off the coast of Oman in the last four days, resulting in the death of three nationals, and it has strongly taken up the matter with the US.
It was the first public acknowledgement of the US Navy targeting ships with Indian crew.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
