Stories
Missing Indian Seafarer Sumit Kumar Singh's Remains Found After El Gaia Attack
- •After 12 days, the mortal remains of Indian seafarer Sumit Kumar Singh, 35, were recovered from the MT El Gaia, which was attacked off Oman.
- •Sumit Kumar Singh was an oiler on the Panama-flagged tanker and went missing after the September 13 attack near the Strait of Hormuz.
- •The vessel sustained severe damage, particularly in the engine-room area, making search operations difficult in flooded sections.
- •Sumit Kumar Singh, from Bihar, had been a seafarer for eight years, primarily on oil tankers, and joined MT El Gaia earlier this year.
- •His death, along with that of a Pakistani crew member, has raised concerns about the safety of merchant seafarers in conflict zones.
Key Questions Answered
After 12 days of uncertainty following an attack on the tanker MT El Gaia off Oman, the mortal remains of 35-year-old Indian oiler Sumit Kumar Singh were recovered from a flooded section of the engine room. He had been missing since the September 13 incident.
The Panama-flagged tanker carried 25 crew members, consisting of 14 Indians and 11 Pakistanis. While 23 crew members were successfully rescued and brought ashore by Omani authorities, Sumit Kumar Singh and Pakistani third engineer Muhammad Hammad Obaida were initially reported missing.
The exact circumstances of the September 13 attack remain disputed. Iran's IRGC Navy claimed the vessel struck naval mines while using an unauthorized route, whereas the United States stated that the tanker was struck by a missile followed by a drone.
