Indian sailor killed in dhow fire near Strait of Hormuz

An Indian sailor was killed and several others injured after their wooden dhow caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz, government sources said on Saturday.

Seventeen other Indian crew members were rescued following the incident on Friday, they said, noting that the exact cause of the blaze is still being ascertained.

The crew members were rescued by a vessel that was passing by in the area, the sources said.

The incident came amid increasing hostilities between Iran and the US in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes.

If confirmed as a casualty of the ongoing conflict, this latest death brings the total number of Indian fatalities to nine since hostilities broke out on February 28.

“A wooden Dhow, carrying general cargo, with 18  Indian crew capsized yesterday close to the Strait of Hormuz after it caught fire,” said a source.

“In this incident, one Indian on the dhow died while four received burn injuries. The injured are receiving medical treatment in Dubai and are safe,” the source said.

Officials from the Indian Consulate in Dubai met the rescued Indian nationals on Friday night, said another source.

The consulate is also in touch with the dhow owner and is extending all possible assistance, the sources said.

Before this incident, eight Indian nationals have been killed in the West Asia conflict, while dozens more have been injured across the region.

In March, an Indian national was killed and another was injured by debris from the interception of a missile in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi.

An Indian national died in an Iranian attack on a power and water desalination plant in Kuwait in March. Another Indian national was killed in missile and drone attacks on the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh on March 18.

Two more Indians died in an attack on an industrial area in Oman on March 13, and three seafarers died in attacks on merchant vessels in the early days of the conflict.

One Indian citizen has also been reported missing.