'No Dreams Left': Grieving Families Await News of Sailors Missing After Drone Attack Off Oman

Families are consumed by grief as they await any news of two young sailors who have been missing since an oil tanker was struck by a drone off the coast of Oman. The vessel, MT Petro Dolphin, was hit near the Sohar anchorage on Sunday.

In two villages in northern India, relatives are desperately seeking information about Amit Singh, 20, and Bir Bahadur Yadav, 25. Both were on the main deck when the drone attack occurred, leading to a fire. According to India’s External Affairs Ministry, out of the 12 crew members on the Nicaraguan-flagged tanker, nine Indian nationals and one Bangladeshi national were rescued, while two seafarers remain unaccounted for.

This was the first maritime job for both young men, and their families have described the profound and incomprehensible loss they are experiencing. "Amit's parents are in and out of consciousness; they cannot cope. It's all finished, there are no dreams left, it's all broken," Amit Singh's uncle, Ravindar Singh, told The National from Gopala village in Uttar Pradesh. "It's as if they are dead. As long as they live, they will be in this condition, like death. We are trying to support them but what can we say to comfort them?"

Maritime agency reports indicate a significant increase in attacks on tankers in the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz over the past week, with at least 12 vessels targeted as Iran intensifies its campaign against US-backed oil shipping. Since the Iran war began on February 28, the International Maritime Organisation has recorded 24 seafarer deaths and 104 incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and the Middle East.

Ravindar Singh, an experienced seafarer himself, spoke with rescued crew members to ascertain his nephew's whereabouts during the drone strike. He expressed little hope for their survival. "The men told me Amit was working on the main deck in the exact same place of the drone attack. We know he is no more," Mr Singh stated. "The crew were evacuated by fishermen. They went around the vessel to search in case the sailors had jumped into the sea, but found nothing." Video footage captured by the crew shows fire and smoke engulfing parts of the tanker, with one sailor heard crying out, "My two crew have gone, Allah, my two men have died."

Amit Singh hailed from a modest farming background, and his family was overjoyed when he decided to follow his uncle into the merchant navy. He joined the tanker in January as an able seaman, with duties including navigation, mooring, cargo handling, and deck equipment maintenance. His uncle, a sailor for two decades, highlighted the escalating dangers faced by merchant ships caught in the crossfire of the Iran-US and Russia-Ukraine conflicts. Ravindar Singh had returned home in May after a projectile landed near his own ship in the Black Sea. Amit was scheduled to finish his contract on October 20, and the two had planned to secure a safe voyage together.

"Amit was excited about coming home," Mr Singh shared. "After the Iran war, it is the worst condition for sailors. But Amit's vessel was not in the Strait of Hormuz; it was in anchorage. How can it be that sailors are not safe near the port?" Mr Singh spoke of his nephew's aspirations to build a better future for his family. "Amit was starting out in life. He wanted to save money to get his older sister married. His parents live on a small farm, and he wanted a better life for them. This is so wrong. Why should Amit be gone? We are just seamen. We are like drivers; we load and unload cargo, we do as we are told. But they are targeting us. If the ship is the target, at least give sailors a warning. Property damage can be fixed, but a sailor's life is gone."

The family of Bir Bahadur Yadav, also from Uttar Pradesh, struggled to shield his mother from the news of his disappearance, but she learned of it from villagers who heard it on television. "I didn't want to tell my mother until we were sure, but now she knows; her spirit is broken. She is constantly crying," Bir's elder brother, Mantoo Yadav, told The National from India. Mantoo, who works in Abu Dhabi, was visiting home when the attack occurred. "In this war, why are sailors being killed? It is someone's son, someone's husband, someone's brother who is dying. What will you get from killing our brothers?"

The night before the drone attack, Bir Bahadur had spoken with his family about his desire to return home. The youngest of four siblings, he worked as a wiper, responsible for cleaning the engine room and machinery. He had four months remaining on his nine-month contract. "We had a long talk. He told us he had seen attacks and saw one ship hit nearby," Mr Yadav recounted. "Bir was worried his ship would become a target. But he thought he should stay and finish the contract. We told him to come home, but it was too late." Mr Yadav, 36, mentioned that his younger brother was focused on completing seafarer certifications to achieve a higher rank. "Bir wanted to work hard, finish exams to get a good position. He was serious when he spoke but could also make people laugh. He was very loving," said Mr Yadav.

The family continues to cling to a sliver of hope. "We have been told that we will know about Bir only when the ship is brought to shore and checked," Mr Yadav stated. "The crew saw the attack and know the other sailor is no more. But the crew did not see Bir. What if he managed to jump off? There is 10 per cent hope that he is alive. Maybe in the rescue, they will find him unconscious."

Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India, commented on the profound trauma families endure while awaiting news from search operations. "It's tough. When a vessel is hit by a drone or rocket, there is fire and waterlogging," said Mr Yadav, who is not related to the missing sailor. "It takes time to search the area for missing sailors, and families may not get an answer for days."

Neither Iran nor the US has claimed responsibility for the drone strike. Maritime associations are advocating for increased protection for sailors amidst the ongoing conflict. "This tanker was anchored off Sohar, so what was the need to hit this vessel? The only danger is for sailors," Mr Yadav emphasized. "It's a very alarming situation, and the threat to sailors is growing. Families are suffering. We need strong measures to protect seafarers." India’s External Affairs Ministry has condemned the attacks, stating, "The recurring attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply concerning and risk further aggravating an already volatile situation. Attacks on commercial vessels, seafarers, and civilian infrastructure must cease."