FSUI expresses its serious concern on the death of three Indian seafarers in the vessel MT Settebello tragedy

India’s Forward Seamen’s Union condemns the attack on the vessel carrying 24 Indian crew members and demands justice and naval protection as two further ships — MT Jalveer and MT Marivex—are also reportedly targeted.

Three Indian seafarers have been killed and 21 others rescued after US Navy warplanes struck the oil tanker MT Settebello near the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) has strongly condemned the strike and is calling for an independent international investigation and stronger protections for Indian maritime workers.

The vessel was carrying 28 crew members, 24 of them Indian nationals, when it was targeted by aircraft operating under the United States Central Command (CENTCOM). US authorities cited the ship’s alleged violation of American sanctions against Iran — specifically the transportation of crude oil from Iranian ports — as justification for the strike. Munitions struck the engine room, disabling the vessel and killing three crew members on duty.

The deceased have been identified as Aditya Sharma, a Deck Cadet; Shivanand Chaurasia, an Engine Fitter; and Patanala Suresh, Chief Engineer. All three were described by the FSUI as “dedicated maritime professionals who lost their lives while serving at sea.”

The attack on MT Settebello is not believed to be an isolated incident. The merchant vessel MT Marivex, carrying 24 Indian crew members, had also reportedly been subjected to military action in the region in the days prior. As the FSUI was drafting its statement, reports emerged of a further strike on MT Jalveer, a tanker with 20 Indian seafarers aboard. The fate of those crew members was unknown at the time of publication.

“Seafarers are workers. They are not soldiers,” the union’s statement read. “They do not participate in wars, military operations or geopolitical confrontations. Their responsibility is to ensure the movement of essential commodities, energy supplies and international trade upon which the global economy depends.”

While the Government of India has raised the matter through diplomatic channels, the FSUI argued that such responses fall short. The union is demanding immediate naval protection for merchant vessels in high-risk waters, the creation of a permanent crisis-management mechanism involving relevant Indian ministries, ex-gratia compensation and long-term rehabilitation support for the families of the deceased, mandatory war-risk allowances for seafarers in conflict zones, and the establishment of internationally supervised safe maritime corridors.

India is one of the world’s largest suppliers of maritime labour, with more than 300,000 Indian seafarers serving on merchant vessels globally, many in regions affected by military conflict. The FSUI warned that repeated attacks on commercial shipping were transforming critical maritime corridors into war zones where civilian workers bear the human cost of conflicts in which they have no stake.

The statement was issued by General Secretary Manoj Yadav on behalf of the FSUI, which is affiliated with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).