DEORIA / NEW DELHI:
A wave of shock and mourning has swept through a quiet village in Uttar Pradesh after a 25-year-old local youth was killed in a sudden missile and drone attack targeting a commercial cargo vessel near the Strait of Hormuz off the eastern coast of Oman.
The deceased has been identified as Suraj Yadav, a resident of Karamjitpur village under the Gauri Bazar police station jurisdiction in Deoria district. Suraj was working as a 'wiper' onboard the commercial cargo ship, MV Cape Dao, which came under a lethal assault on Wednesday night.
According to details shared by the family and labor organizations, the vessel had a total crew of 28 members, out of whom 20 were Indian nationals. Hours before the tragic turn of events, Suraj had spoken to his family members over the phone, informing them about the ship’s routine movement and cargo operations. Shortly afterward, the Forward Seamen Union and shipping authorities broke the devastating news of the strike to the family.
Omani authorities reported that the attack triggered a massive fire in the vessel's engine room. The Omani Navy and local rescue coordination teams acted with extreme swiftness, managing to rescue 27 crew members safely, which included 19 Indian sailors. However, despite prompt rescue operations, Suraj Yadav could not be saved.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in Muscat formally confirmed the tragic incident, expressing profound grief over the loss of the Indian national. In a statement shared on social media, the Indian mission stated that it is closely coordinating with local Omani authorities, Recruitment and Placement Service License (RPSL) holders, and the grieving family to ensure all necessary assistance and the swift repatriation of Suraj's mortal remains back to his ancestral village.
Back in Deoria, Suraj’s family—whose father works abroad in Kuwait—is inconsolable. Relatives and neighbors have gathered at their home, appealing to the government to expedite the return process of the body and urging enhanced security protocols for commercial seafarers navigating high-risk international waterways.
