The Government on Thursday said that two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers are en route to India after crossing the Strait of Hormuz. However, one Sharjah-bound Indian-flagged vessel sank after being hit near the strategic shipping corridor.
Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Mukesh Mangal said that LPG tanker Symi transited through the Strait on May 13, while NV Sunshine safely crossed the waterway on Thursday. This brings the total number of Indian vessels to have crossed the shipping channel, which had been effectively shut since the US-Israel strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation more than two months ago, to 13.
Mangal said Symi, a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel carrying 19,965 tonnes of LPG, is expected to arrive at Kandla in Gujarat on May 16. NV Sunshine, a Vietnam-flagged vessel carrying 46,427 tonnes of LPG cargo, is expected to arrive at New Mangalore on May 18, he said, adding that the cargo on both vessels belongs to Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Since early March, 13 India-flagged vessels, including 12 LPG tankers and one crude oil tanker, have crossed the Strait of Hormuz, even as tensions in the region continue to disrupt maritime traffic. Several foreign-flagged energy tankers carrying cargo for India have also arrived from the Persian Gulf after transiting the strategic waterway. At least 12 Indian vessels remain stranded in the Gulf, along with multiple foreign ships transporting India-bound cargo.
The passage of two India-bound LPG vessels occurred amid a deadlock in negotiations to end the war and the arrival of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New Delhi to attend the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
Meanwhile, Haji Ali, an Indian dhow or mechanised sailing vessel (MSV), came under attack in the early hours of Wednesday in Omani waters during its voyage from Somalia to Sharjah, UAE, leading to a fire onboard the wooden vessel and its subsequent sinking.
“All 14 crew members onboard (Haji Ali) were safely rescued by the Omani Coast Guard and have reached Dibba Port in Oman. The crew is reported to be safe, and necessary formalities with the local authorities have been completed,” Mangal said while asserting that the crew will be brought back to India soon.
“The Government of India remains in close coordination with the authorities in the Sultanate of Oman, Indian Mission officials and relevant maritime agencies,” he said. The vessel was 57 meters long and 14 meters wide. An Indian dhow is a traditional, usually wooden, sailing vessel with one or more masts and characteristic lateen (triangular) sails, essential to maritime trade in the Indian Ocean for centuries.
Published on May 14, 2026