Published Jun 08, 2026 | 7:02 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 08, 2026 | 7:02 PM
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said the vessel was well out of the Strait of Hormuz and well clear to the south when it caught fire.
Synopsis: The vessel, MT Marivex, was operating near the strategic and conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz when the projectile — suspected to be a drone or missile — struck its engine side, setting it ablaze around 1:30 pm on Monday. All crew members are safe. No injuries have been reported.
A Palau-flagged oil tanker with an all-Indian crew of 24 caught fire after it was reportedly hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman. All crew members were safely evacuated. No injuries have been reported.
The vessel, MT Marivex, was operating near the strategic and West Asia conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz when the projectile — suspected to be a drone or missile — struck its engine side, setting it ablaze around 1:30 pm on Monday, 8 June, according to the Indian Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
The fire rendered the ship’s lifeboats useless, an SOS message from the burning ship said.
Shipping registries identified Marivex as a mechanised tanker operating out of Gujarat. According to marinetraffic.com, the ship was sailing to Duqm in Oman from Karwar in Karnataka.
“The vessel was well out of the Strait of Hormuz and well clear to the south,” the ministry’s Director in the Shipping Division, Opesh Kumar Sharma, said.
Sharma, however, did not specify the cause of the fire. “Whether the ship was hit by a projectile or not, presently we are trying to get absolute information,” news agency ANI quoted him.
He said his ministry was coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Mission abroad, Ministry of Defence and the Indian Navy to ensure the seafarers’ safety.
The vessel was not carrying any cargo and was in ballast — carrying water in dedicated tanks to maintain stability, trim, and seaworthiness.
Earlier, Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) said in an X post that Indian sailors aboard the Marivex sought urgent assistance off the Oman coast.
