A Panama-flagged container ship that came under fire from Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz had 21 Indian crew members on board, all of whom are safe, the government confirmed on Thursday. The incident took place as tensions escalated in the region, with multiple vessels being targeted. Alongside this, another container ship that had crossed the Strait is currently on its way to India.

The vessel, named Euphoria, was among three ships that were attacked by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Wednesday. The action was seen as a response to a US blockade of Iranian shipping. Iran has been attempting to assert its control over the strait, a critical route through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. The other ships involved in the incident were the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and the Liberian-registered Epaminondas. The Epaminondas was headed towards Mundra port in India at the time of the attack.

Providing details at a press conference, the additional secretary in the shipping ministry, Mukesh Mangal, said, “A vessel, Euphoria, was having 21 Indian seafarers on board, and all of them are safe.” He also mentioned that the ship had one crew member from Myanmar. Speaking about the Epaminondas, he added that it had one Indian crew member, who is also safe. He further stated, “None of the Indian seafarers has been injured in the firing on the foreign-flagged vessels.”

While Iranian media reports claimed that the Euphoria had been stranded near the Iranian coast after the attack, ship tracking data showed the vessel near the coast of Oman. The data listed its destination as Khor Fakkan port. However, a senior shipping ministry official, who did not wish to be named, later said that the ship is continuing its journey and is heading towards its original destination of Jeddah.

Tracking ship movements in the region has become difficult due to disruptions. Authorities noted that real-time maritime tracking has been affected by jamming and spoofing of transponder signals, making it harder to confirm the exact position of vessels.

Meanwhile, the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas were reported by Iranian media to have been detained at Bandar Abbas port. Officials confirmed that there were no Indian crew members on board the Francesca.

In another update, the shipping ministry said that the Gibraltar-flagged bulk carrier Frosso K successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. The ship is carrying 55,000 metric tonnes of sulphur and is heading to Paradip port in India. It was among 15 vessels that had been placed on a priority list for evacuation from the Persian Gulf by the Department of Fertilisers.

Additionally, the crude oil tanker Desh Garima, which had passed through the Strait on April 18, safely reached Mumbai on Wednesday. On the same day, two Indian-flagged vessels, Sanmar Herald and Jag Arnav, were also fired upon by boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps while passing through the Strait. Following the incident, both vessels turned back.

The ministry also shared that there are currently 518 Indian seafarers working on Indian-flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf region. Out of these, 340 are located to the west of the Strait, while 178 are in the Gulf of Oman. The situation continues to be closely monitored as tensions remain high in the region.