Fourteen Indian crew members from a commercial vessel off the Oman coast were evacuated after an engine failure, the Embassy of India in Muscat said on Sunday. The incident occurred on the Indian-flagged merchant vessel Virat 1.
“It has emerged that the vessel experienced an engine failure, and the crew eventually transferred safely to a liferaft. Rescue operation is presently underway through ships in vicinity, under coordination of Omani authorities,” the Indian Embassy said in a social media post.
Rescue operation involving Indian Flagged MSV Virat 1 has been successfully completed. All 14 crew members have been rescued and are presently onboard Jabal Ali 9 heading to Mumbai . The crew members are safe and in good health.@DrSJaishankar @MEAIndia
@VikramMisri… pic.twitter.com/AvOCvZTHUo
— India in Oman (Embassy of India, Muscat) (@Indemb_Muscat) June 14, 2026
In its latest update, the embassy said all 14 crew members have been rescued.
“Rescue operation involving Indian Flagged MSV Virat 1 has been successfully completed. All 14 crew members have been rescued and are presently onboard Jabal Ali 9 heading to Mumbai . The crew members are safe and in good health.”
US involvement in rescue effort
CNN-News18 earlier reported that the United States Navy, the Indian Navy and a nearby merchant vessel were involved in the emergency rescue effort. Citing government sources, the report said a US Navy P-8 maritime patrol aircraft responded to the emergency by dropping a life raft near the vessel and monitoring the evacuation of those onboard.
According to the report, the crew members later boarded the life raft after the dhow reportedly began sinking. The US Navy also coordinated assistance from a nearby merchant vessel, MV Jabal Ali 9, a St Kitts and Nevis-flagged ship travelling from Sohar and bound for Mumbai.
The Oman coast has seen heightened tensions in recent weeks after three vessels with Indian crew members came under US attack in the region, one of which resulted in the deaths of three seafarers.
India on Friday summoned US charge d’affaires Jason Meeks, the second time in a week, and told him that American military’s “lethal and deadly” strikes on commercial vessels with Indian crew members off the coast of Oman are “unacceptable” and they undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce.
(With inputs from agencies)
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