Ahmedabad: A 25-year-old sailor from Gujarat was killed after an Indian-flagged vessel carrying dates from UAE to Porbandar was struck by an unidentified aerial object near Lima Port in Oman on Monday. Thirteen crew members were rescued from the vessel.The deceased, Nahim Ajij Gandhar, was from Salaya in Devbhoomi Dwarka district. He was at the steering wheel of the vessel, MSV Al Jusufi, when it was hit around 4pm local time, according to preliminary details.Haji Akbar Sumbadia, the vessel owner, said his younger brother, Jusab Aman Sumbadia, managed the vessel. “The vessel faced a frontal attack near Lima Port. It was a drone attack, and all the crew members suffered injuries,” he said.The Indian Sailing Vessels Association said it suspects the vessel was struck by a drone or missile while navigating in Omani waters. The crew abandoned the vessel and evacuated into a rescue boat. The Omani Coast Guard rescued them and took them ashore. Gandhar died while being transported to Khasab Port Hospital.The vessel departed Hamriyah Port in UAE on Oct 31.Sumbadia said attacks on Gujarati vessels had increased in recent weeks. He said the crew had resorted to daytime sailing after earlier attacks during night movement. He appealed to govt to intervene, saying sailors from coastal Gujarat were facing growing risks.Adam Bhaya, general secretary of the Indian Sailing Vessels Association, urged the Centre, the ministry of external affairs, the Directorate General of Shipping, and the Indian embassy in Oman to coordinate assistance, repatriation of the surviving crew, and support for Gandhar’s family.The association said many crew members came from poor families and were facing emotional and financial distress.
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