Two Indian-flagged LPG tankers have safely navigated the war-hit Strait of Hormuz and are expected to reach India.
The ministry of petroleum and natural gas said on Monday, citing the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways, that two LPG carriers – BW TYR and BW ELM – carrying LPG cargo of about 94114 MT have safely transited the Strait of Hormuz on March 28 and are moving towards India shores.
Sharing the details in an official statement, it further noted that BW TYR carrying 47115 MT LNG is scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on March 31 while the ship BW ELM carrying LPG cargo of 46999 MT will reach New Mangalore on April 1.
Despite the ongoing regional tensions, the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways assured that all necessary measures have been instituted to ensure the safety and security of Indian vessels and seafarers operating in the region.
As per the ministry, all Indian seafarers in the region are safe, and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. The situation has remained stable over the last 72 hours as well.
According to the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways, 18 Indian-flagged vessels with around 485 Indian seafarers remain in the western Persian Gulf region, reflecting a reduction from 20 vessels with 540 seafarers over the last 72 hours.
It further noted that the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), in coordination with ship owners, RPSL agencies, and Indian Missions, is actively monitoring the situation.
As per the ministry, the DG Shipping Control Room remains operational 24×7 and has handled 4,555 calls and 9,074 emails since activation, including 32 calls and 89 emails in the past 24 hours, and 124 calls and 209 emails over the last 72 hours.
According to reports, the DG Shipping has facilitated the safe repatriation of over 950 Indian seafarers so far, including 8 in the past 24 hours and 12 over the last 72 hours.
Port operations across India continue to remain normal with no congestion reported in the past 24 hours, and have remained stable over the last 72 hours, as confirmed by State Maritime Boards including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Keralam, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry.
The US and Israel attack on Iran and Tehran’s sweeping retaliation have all but halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the US and Israeli war against Iran disrupting shipping, Tehran has allowed however “non-hostile vessels” to transit if they coordinate with Iranian authorities.
On Friday, India’s ministry of external affairs reiterated its urgent call for the preservation of safe and uninterrupted maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz. During the weekly media briefing, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India is closely following the developments in the ongoing conflict.
“And our point of view is that we continue to call for ensuring safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz as a matter of priority,” Jaiswal noted.
