NEW DELHI, June 8 — The oil tanker MT Marivex, which reported a fire incident earlier Monday and carried 24 Indian crew members, is a Palau-flagged vessel sanctioned by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and is not owned by an Indian company, according to sources.
Sources said the vessel had made four attempts to evade a U.S.-enforced blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. During its fourth attempt on Monday, the tanker allegedly entered Omani territorial waters and switched off its signal devices in an effort to avoid detection.
“This pattern makes it clear that its intention was not above board. The ship was in an unladen state when it was disabled,” sources said.
Despite the incident, all 24 Indian crew members aboard the vessel were safely rescued with the assistance of Omani authorities.
Earlier Monday, the Indian Embassy in Muscat confirmed the successful rescue of all Indian nationals on board and expressed gratitude to Omani authorities for their prompt response.
“We are thankful to the Omani authorities for their swift response and rescue of all the 24 crew members of Indian nationality onboard MT Marivex, and ensuring their safety,” the Embassy of India in Muscat said in a post on X.
The rescue operation followed a fire aboard the vessel south of the Strait of Hormuz.
During an interministerial briefing on recent developments in West Asia, Opesh Kumar Sharma, director in the Shipping Division of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said the fire was reported at approximately 1:30 p.m.
The ministry said it has been coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian diplomatic missions, the Indian Navy, and the Ministry of Defence to ensure the safety of the crew members.
“We are in touch with the owners, and we are trying to ascertain the facts. We are also in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and our mission in Oman,” Sharma said.
Asked whether the vessel had been struck by a projectile, Sharma said authorities were still working to determine the exact cause of the incident.
“So whether the ship was hit by a projectile or not, presently we are trying to get absolute information. As you are aware, the fire incident was at 1:30 today,” he said.
He added that the vessel was operating well south of the Strait of Hormuz at the time of the incident.
“The vessel was well out of the Strait of Hormuz and well clear to the south,” Sharma said.
According to the shipping ministry, the tanker was not carrying any cargo and was sailing in ballast condition when the incident occurred.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire.
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