New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Two India-bound vessels have safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz and are expected to arrive in the country in the next couple of days, the government announced on Thursday.

SYMI, an LPG carrier and Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, carrying 19,965 MT of LPG cargo for India, with 21 foreign crew members onboard, safely crossed the Strait on May 13 and is expected to arrive at Kandla on May 16, the government said in its daily briefing.

“NV SUNSHINE, an LPG carrier and Vietnam-flagged vessel, carrying 46,427 MT of LPG cargo for India, with 24 foreign crew members onboard, safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz on 14 May 2026 and is expected to arrive at New Mangalore on 18 May 2026,” said the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

Meanwhile, an Indian dhow, a mechanised sailing vessel (MSV) HAJI ALI, during its voyage from Somalia to Sharjah, UAE, reportedly encountered an incident in Omani waters in the early hours of May 13, which led to a fire onboard and the subsequent sinking of the vessel.

“All 14 crew members onboard were safely rescued by the Omani Coast Guard and have reached Dibba Port, Oman. The crew is reported to be safe, and necessary formalities with the local authorities have been completed. The Government of India remains in close coordination with the authorities in the Sultanate of Oman, Indian Mission officials, and relevant maritime agencies,” the ministry informed.

In the past 72 hours, except for the MSV HAJI ALI incident, no other incident has been reported covering Indian vessels or foreign vessels with Indian seafarers.

“All other Indian seafarers currently reported in the region are safe,” said the ministry.

Moreover, the DGShipping Control Room has handled 9,266 calls and more than 20,592 emails since activation. In the past 72 hours, a total of 377 calls and 834 emails have been received.

The Ministry, through the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), has facilitated the safe repatriation of more than 3,158 Indian seafarers so far, including 62 in the last 72 hours from various locations across the Gulf region.

“Port operations across India remain normal, with no congestion reported,” it noted.

–IANS

na/vd