Indian oil tanker heads to India after escaping attack on Fujairah port

Indian-flagged Jag Laadki tanker carrying 80,800 MT of crude oil escapes drone attack at Fujairah port; all Indian seafarers safe, vessel en-route to India

Published on: Mar 15, 2026, 21:44:51 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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An Indian-flagged oil tanker was unharmed during a drone attack on Fujairah port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and has set sail for India with a cargo of 80,800 metric tonnes of crude oil, the government said on Sunday.

Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. (AFP)

All Indian seafarers in West Asia are safe, and no incident involving Indian sailors has been reported since Saturday, the government said in a statement. The Indian-flagged Jag Laadki tanker was loading crude oil at Fujairah when the port’s oil terminal was attacked. Follow LIVE updates on US-Iran war here

“The vessel sailed safely from Fujairah at 1030 hrs IST [on Sunday] carrying about 80,800 MT of Murban crude oil and is bound for India. The vessel and all Indian seafarers onboard are safe,” the statement said.

Two Indian-flagged LPG carriers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, are also on their way to Indian ports with 92,712 metric tonnes of LPG after transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. They are scheduled to reach Mundra port on March 16 and Kandla port on March 17, respectively.

Fujairah port and its oil terminal were targeted with drones on Saturday, temporarily disrupting some oil-loading operations. Iran threatened to attack UAE infrastructure on Saturday and urged people to evacuate the three major ports — Jebel Ali, Khalifa, and Fujairah. According to reports in Iranian state media, Tehran said these are “legitimate targets” because they are used by the US to attack Iran.

A total of 22 Indian-flagged vessels with 611 Indian seafarers are still located west of the Strait of Hormuz, and the Directorate General of Shipping is monitoring them with assistance from several ministries. The Directorate General of Shipping has facilitated the repatriation of 276 Indian sailors from the Gulf region so far, including 23 brought back since Saturday.

Indian missions are also extending help to stranded citizens and short-term visitors in West Asian countries, including visa support, logistical assistance, and facilitation of transit. Since the start of the conflict on February 28, more than 194,000 citizens have returned to India from the region.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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