PTI file photo
An Indian sailor was killed and several others injured after a wooden dhow carrying Indian crew members caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz.Seventeen other Indian crew members were rescued following the incident on Friday, while authorities continue to ascertain the exact cause of the blaze.According to sources, the crew members were rescued by a passing vessel operating in the area.”A wooden Dhow, carrying general cargo, with 18 Indian crew capsized yesterday close to the Strait of Hormuz after it caught fire,” a source was quoted as saying by PTI. “In this incident, one Indian on the dhow died while four received burn injuries. The injured are receiving medical treatment in Dubai and are safe,” the source added. Officials from the Indian Consulate in Dubai met the rescued Indian nationals on Friday night, another source said.The consulate is also in contact with the owner of the dhow and is extending all possible assistance to the affected crew members, the sources said. The incident occurred amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime chokepoint linking the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which a substantial share of the world’s oil supplies transit. The two countries exchanged fires in the strategically vital waterway, a route that carries nearly one-fifth of global oil and natural gas shipments, despite a truce announced between the sides on April 7.The US Central Command said it carried out strikes on Iran after three US Navy guided-missile destroyers allegedly came under attack from Iranian missiles, drones and small boats in the Strait of Hormuz.Earlier, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters accused the United States of violating the ceasefire by attacking an Iranian oil tanker and another vessel near the strategic waterway. The Iranian military command also alleged that the US had targeted civilian areas, including Qeshm Island, as cited by Al Jazeera.US President Donald Trump on Thursday appeared to play down the clashes, saying the ceasefire remained in force, while Iran’s state-run Press TV reported that the situation had returned “back to normal”.Shipping activity through the strait has remained near standstill since late February amid fears of Iranian attacks on oil tankers navigating the route, which carries a significant share of the world’s energy supplies.
