An urgent distress signal emerged from an oil tanker crewed by Indians, which was struck by a US missile near Oman, resulting in a fire and flooding on the vessel. The tanker, registered under the flag of Palau and previously sanctioned by the US, was targeted after it attempted to bypass an American blockade aimed at Iranian ports. Fortunately, all 24 Indian crew members were successfully rescued by the Omani military.
In a recorded message, a crew member urgently requested help, stating: "Sir, this is motor tanker Marivex, we have fire on board and vessel is sinking. The missile hit our engine room. We have fire on board. We have a hole at the bottom and the vessel is sinking. Please help, please help. 24 crew... All crew Indian. Please help quickly, we need immediate help," he pleaded.
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The MT Marivex, flagged under Palau, was navigating near the vital Strait of Hormuz when it was struck by a missile off the coast of Oman. The incident ignited a fire onboard, leading to the crew's distress call. The Omani military, in collaboration with Indian maritime rescue teams, successfully evacuated all crew members via helicopter, with no reported injuries.
The Indian Coast Guard's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbai received the alert regarding the missile strike on MT Marivex. They promptly coordinated with the Oman Maritime Search and Rescue Centre (OMSC) to ensure the crew's safety. A helicopter from the Royal Air Force of Oman was dispatched from Masirah Island to assist.
The US military confirmed that they targeted an unladen oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach the existing blockade against Iran by heading towards an Iranian port. According to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM), the Palau-flagged M/T Marivex was disabled as it moved through international waters towards Iran. An F/A-18 Super Hornet from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) launched a precision strike on the ship's engineering and steering sections after the crew did not follow US directives. CENTCOM confirmed that Marivex is no longer en route to Iran.
