An urgent distress call from an Indian-crewed oil tanker struck by US forces off the coast of Oman has revealed the moments of panic aboard the vessel as sailors reported a fire, flooding and feared the ship was sinking.
The audio clip, which surfaced days after the incident, captures a crew member aboard MT Marivex pleading for immediate assistance after what he described as a missile strike on the vessel's engine room.
"Sir, this is motor tanker Marivex... we have fire on board and vessel is sinking," the crew member said in the SOS message.
"US Navy attack, the missile on our engine room. We have hole at the bottom. We have fire onboard, please help. Please help, please help."
The crew member repeatedly stressed that all 24 sailors aboard the vessel were Indian nationals.
"Total all crew Indian. Twenty-four crew, all crew Indian. Please help quickly, we need immediate help," he said.
The distress call was reportedly received by Indian maritime unions shortly after the attack on Monday. Maritime unions subsequently alerted Indian authorities and shared videos from the vessel showing smoke rising from the ship.
US says tanker violated Iran blockade
The strike came amid the United States' ongoing military enforcement of a blockade on Iranian ports following the widening conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran earlier this year.
{{/usCountry}}The strike came amid the United States' ongoing military enforcement of a blockade on Iranian ports following the widening conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran earlier this year.
{{/usCountry}}The US Central Command (CENTCOM) later confirmed that American forces had disabled the Palau-flagged tanker after it allegedly violated the blockade by attempting to sail towards an Iranian port. According to CENTCOM, an F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln fired a "precision munition" into the vessel's engineering and steering spaces after the crew failed to comply with directions from US forces.
The American military said Marivex had made four attempts to breach the blockade and had turned away on three previous occasions after warnings from US naval forces. It added that the vessel was unladen at the time of the strike.
Marivex, previously known as Arihant, had been sanctioned by the United States for alleged links to Iran. US authorities have accused the vessel and its owner of transporting Iranian fuel oil and bitumen through the Gulf. Ship-tracking data shows the tanker had previously called at Iranian ports before sailing to India's west coast.
Oman launches rescue operation
Following the distress call, India's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbai coordinated with Oman's maritime rescue authorities to ensure the safety of the crew.
A Royal Air Force of Oman helicopter was dispatched from Masirah Island and carried out a rescue operation, evacuating all 24 Indian crew members from the stricken vessel. Visuals released after the incident showed crew members being winched one by one from the deck of the tanker.
All 24 sailors were rescued safely and brought ashore to Masirah Island, according to Indian authorities. The Ministry of Defence later said the operation highlighted effective international cooperation in responding to maritime emergencies.
Third vessel with Indian crew targeted this week
The Marivex incident is part of a troubling pattern that has emerged in the Gulf of Oman over the past week.
On Thursday, another tanker carrying Indian crew members, Jalveer, was attacked by US forces, according to information released by the US Central Command. The Guinea Bissau-flagged vessel was among ships accused of attempting to move through the American blockade while transporting cargo linked to Iran. All 20 Indian crew members aboard Jalveer were reported safe and were being evacuated.
Earlier, tanker Settebello was also struck in the region. Unlike Marivex and Jalveer, the attack on Settebello proved deadly. Indian officials said three of the 24 Indian crew members aboard the vessel were killed.