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Missing Bareilly seaman: Uncertainty hangs as pall, family awaits official word
Back in Bharataul village, relatives, neighbours, and well-wishers gathered at the Gupta family’s home throughout Tuesday to express solidarity and offer support
An Indian seaman from the city went missing following an attack on the merchant vessel MV AGN Ragnar at Ukraine’s Odessa Port. Deepak Kumar Gupta, a resident of Bharataul village in the Bithri Chainpur area, remained untraceable till Wednesday, leaving his family desperately awaiting official confirmation of his whereabouts.
Deepak’s elder brother, Sandeep Gupta, visited the shipping company’s office in New Delhi on Monday to seek information about his brother. However, the family was unable to obtain any definitive update, further deepening concerns over Deepak’s fate.
Back in Bharataul village, relatives, neighbours, and well-wishers gathered at the Gupta family’s home throughout Tuesday to express solidarity and offer support as the family continued to hope for Deepak’s safe return.
Deepak’s father, Uddhav Sah, said no official communication indicating any casualty or mishap had been received so far, giving the family reason to remain hopeful. He added that attempts were being made to establish contact with other crew members aboard the vessel. According to him, the family had earlier received information that a rescue operation was underway, but subsequent calls seeking updates went unanswered.
The district administration has also begun collecting information about the incident. Bareilly additional district magistrate (city) Avinash Tripathi said the administration came to know about the missing seaman through media reports and has directed the Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) to gather information. He said any confirmed details would be shared once received officially.
The family has also reached out to Jharkhand governor and former Bareilly MP Santosh Gangwar for assistance and is now awaiting official updates from the ministry of external affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy.
Confusion spread on Tuesday morning after an international news portal claimed that the two missing Indian sailors had been found safe in Romania. However, the report neither identified the individuals by name nor published any photographs, making it impossible to verify the claim.
The report prompted several villagers to rush to Deepak’s residence and inform his family. Sandeep Gupta, who is in Delhi, subsequently tried to verify the report through the Indian Embassy but did not receive any confirmation.
Village head representative Reetram urged people not to rely on unverified reports and described the circulating claims as misleading. He appealed to the public to wait for official confirmation before drawing conclusions.
India in constant touch with Ukraine
India on Tuesday confirmed that search operations are continuing for the two Indian sailors who went missing after the attack on the cargo vessel at Ukraine’s Odesa Port.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India remains in constant contact with local Ukrainian authorities regarding the incident. He said the attack on MV AGN Ragnar took place at Odessa Port on July 25, and efforts to trace the missing Indian crew members are continuing.
Family of missing Prayagraj sailor appeals to PM Modi
Four days after Ramchandra Dubey, a resident of Neebi Kala village in Prayagraj district, went missing following a Russian drone attack on a cargo vessel near Ukraine’s Odessa port, his family anxiously awaits information about his whereabouts.
Ramchandra’s father, Ramesh Chandra Dubey, a retired Army Havildar, has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Rajnath Singh to trace his son and ensure his safe return.
“I have served the nation throughout my life and have full faith that the government will do everything it can to find my son,” he said.
Ramchandra’s uncle, Vipin Chandra Dubey, said he travelled to Delhi on Tuesday and met Union minister Nitin Gadkari and AAP MP Sanjay Singh, seeking their intervention.
The family has also learned of reports suggesting that two unidentified individuals were found drifting near a border area and later admitted to a hospital. They hope the two could be Ramchandra Dubey and Deepak Gupta of Bareilly, who is also reported missing after the attack.
The 23-year-old, a resident of Nibikala village in the Jhunsi area of Prayagraj, was employed aboard a cargo vessel and had reached Odessa as part of his professional duties. According to the family, the shipping company informed them about four days ago that he had gone missing following an attack on the vessel.
Family members said the ship had eight crew members on board when it was allegedly struck in a Russian drone attack. In an attempt to save themselves, four crew members reportedly jumped into the sea. While two were rescued, the other two—including Ramchandra—remain untraceable.
