Two Indian seafarers remain missing after the Nicaragua-flagged tanker MT Petro Dolphin, carrying 11 Indian crew members, was subjected to a drone attack at Sohar Anchorage off the coast of Oman on October
11, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said.
Nine Indian crew members have been rescued and are safe, while search-and-rescue operations are underway to locate the missing personnel.
In a post on X on Sunday, Sonowal said the tanker had been attacked at Sohar Anchorage and confirmed that the local Coast Guard was actively conducting search-and-rescue operations.
“On Oct 11, tanker MT PETRO DOLPHIN, carrying 11 Indian seafarers, was subjected to a drone attack at Sohar Anchorage,” Sonowal mentioned in his X post.
“While nine of our Indian crew members have been successfully rescued and are safe, two Indian nationals currently remain missing.”
“Search-and-rescue operations are actively underway by the local Coast Guard. We are continuously coordinating with all relevant authorities to fully support the ongoing rescue efforts and ensure every possible action is taken to safely locate our missing personnel,” Sonowal said.
⚠️ IMPORTANT UPDATE ⚠️
On Oct 11, tanker MT PETRO DOLPHIN, carrying 11 Indian seafarers, was subjected to a drone attack at Sohar Anchorage.
While nine of our Indian crew members have been successfully rescued and are safe, two Indian nationals currently remain missing.
Search-and-rescue operations are actively underway by the local Coast Guard. We are continuously coordinating with all relevant authorities to fully support the ongoing rescue efforts and ensure every possible action is taken to safely locate our missing personnel.
— Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) October 11, 2026
The Indian Embassy in Muscat also confirmed that two of the 11 Indian seafarers aboard the vessel were reported missing.
The embassy said it was closely monitoring the situation and maintaining contact with the concerned authorities.
In a post on X, the embassy said, “The Embassy is closely monitoring the situation concerning MT PETRO DOLPHIN, a Nicaragua-flagged tanker.”
“Two of the 11 Indian seafarers onboard are reported missing. The Embassy is in close and continuous contact with the concerned authorities,” the authority mentioned.
The Embassy is closely monitoring the situation concerning MT PETRO DOLPHIN, a Nicaragua-flagged tanker. Two of the 11 Indian seafarers onboard are reported missing. The Embassy is in close and continuous contact with the concerned authorities .
— India in Oman (Embassy of India, Muscat) (@Indemb_Muscat) October 11, 2026
The development comes amid concerns over attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf region and the safety of Indian seafarers working on international vessels.
In a separate incident on October 11, the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker M/T Valthera, which was carrying 11 Indian seafarers, was struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a fire onboard.
