West Asia crisis: Remains of 2 Indians aboard oil tanker hit by Iran missile found

Two Indian nationals were killed in an attack on a Palau-flagged oil tanker, MV Skylight, in the Gulf of Oman on March 1, amid heightened tensions between US-Israel and Iran. The victims have been identified as Captain Ashish Kumar from Bihar and crew member Dalip Singh from Rajasthan.

Another Indian, Dixit Solanki (25) from Diu, was killed on board another oil tanker, MKD Vyom, near Muscat the day after.

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Skylight, which had docked on February 22, was struck near Oman’s Musandam Peninsula shortly after drone strikes targeted Duqm port. Oman’s Maritime Security Centre confirmed the vessel was attacked five nautical miles north of Khasab Port. It said all 20 crew members—15 Indians and five Iranians—were evacuated, without specifying the nature of the strike.

Remains recovered

It emerged later that the vessel was possibly hit by an Iranian projectile or missile. The attack caused a fire and initially left the two men missing before they were confirmed dead.

The authorities have now reported that the remains of the two Indians were recovered, as their bodies were burnt in the incident. Ashish Kumar’s bones were found in the captain’s cabin, while Dalip Singh, who had joined duty on January 22, was in the forward section of the ship at the time of the attack.

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Captain Kumar, the eldest of three brothers from Bettiah, Bihar, leaves behind his wife Anshu Kumari and their five-year-old son Daksh, who still waits for his father’s return. His father, Ashok Kumar, a lawyer, and his mother, Sunita Devi, are struggling with the loss.

Dalip, from Khinwatana village in Rajasthan’s Nagaur district, had only recently begun his service on the tanker, making the tragedy all the more poignant. He had last spoken to the family on February 28.

(With agency inputs)