- Indian seafarer Heramb Karmarkar was killed in an Iranian strike near Oman’s coast
- Karmarkar’s last message said the ship had safely crossed the Gulf of Hormuz
- Ten Indian crew members were rescued; one remains missing after the attack
Heramb Karmarkar, the Indian seafarer who was killed in an Iranian strike on the Cyprus-flagged commercial vessel off the coast of Oman, thought he had evaded danger before his vessel came under attack while crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Moments before his death, the marine engineer from Pune, according to family, texted them saying the ship had safely crossed the Gulf.
That message was his last communication with his family.
Karmarkar, 30, was among the Indian crew members who had gone missing following an attack on the merchant vessel 'GFX Galaxy' near the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had stated that 10 of the Indian nationals on board were rescued, while one person is still reportedly missing.
Family's Plea
His family on Wednesday confirmed he has died.
"He was a 30-year-old young man, not an elderly person. Our only request to the Government of India is that his body be handed over to us intact and brought home," Karmarkar's father-in-law, Vivek Tandon, said while talking to news agency IANS.
India Condemns Attack
Earlier, India condemned the attack, terming the continuous incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region "deeply worrisome."
The MEA said that the Indian Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing search and rescue operation. In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Oman said its officials are in close contact with the Omani authorities, the vessel's management, and the concerned stakeholders, and is extending all possible assistance.
US Central Command had said that GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship, was attacked by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) when transiting the Strait of Hormuz, leaving a crew member missing.
The incident occurred amid heightened tensions in the waters around the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about one-fifth of the world's traded oil and is critical to global energy security.
