Two India-Bound Vessels Cross Strait Of Hormuz After Going Dark For A While

Two India-bound vessels carrying cooking fuel from the Persian Gulf successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz, according to officials.

According to a report by IANS, the liquefied petroleum gas carrier, Symi, emerged in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday after temporarily turning off its transponder while the other — NV Sunshine — went dark just after making it through the strait.

Officials said that Symi is transporting fuel cargo from Qatar’s Ras Laffan port to Gujarat’s Kandla and NV Sunshine carrying LPG from the UAE’s Ruwais refinery is heading towards Mangalore.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned the attack on an Indian-flagged commercial vessel off the coast of Oman.

“The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman

yesterday is unacceptable and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

He, however, said that all Indian crew members on board the vessel “are safe”. The crew was rescued with the assistance of Omani authorities.

Previously, seven vessels made it through the strait include two more with LPG, four large crude carriers and one liquefied natural gas tanker. However, some are still inside the US blockade line that runs from Rad al Hadd in Oman to the Iran-Pakistan border.

After a peak in crossings by 26 raw materials carriers on April 18, the number of transits has dropped to its lowest level since the war began, according to maritime data from Kpler.

From April 19 to 22, only 18 vessels passed through the strait, an average of 4.5 per day. By comparison, between March 1 and April 17, around nine ships — double that figure — crossed daily. About 120 daily transits are recorded during peacetime, according to maritime information site Lloyd’s List.

Since the start of the war, 38 incidents have been recorded by UKMTO, Vanguard and/or the IMO.