Eleven Indian seafarers killed as West Asia conflict hits shipping lanes

Eleven Indian seafarers have died since the West Asia crisis began, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) announced on Monday. The ministry also reported that 139 Indian crew members remain trapped in the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime chokepoint affected by the US‑Israel and Iran clash. According to MoPSW Secretary Vijay Kumar, four attacks have hit Indian‑flagged vessels and 74 incidents have involved foreign‑flagged ships carrying Indian crew. In total, 11 casualties have been confirmed and 4,292 Indian seafarers have been repatriated safely. Kumar said the ministry has built a real‑time tracking system for every seafarer operating in critical zones. The system shows vessel position, crew strength, welfare, threat level, planned route, and the availability of food, fuel and medicines. At present two Indian‑flagged and six India‑bound ships are in the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier this week, a Panama‑flagged vessel was struck by a projectile in the strait, injuring eleven Indian crew members. The Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack and voiced deep concern over the targeting of commercial shipping. A separate incident in the Black Sea saw a Russian drone strike ignite a fire on a Turkish cargo ship, killing at least two foreign crew members and wounding an Indian sailor. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted rising foreign orders for Indian‑built ships, noting Belgium’s interest in green shipping collaboration and ongoing talks with Saudi Arabia and Bhutan on ports, shipbuilding and the Brahmaputra gateway. The workforce has risen from 1.27 lakh in 2015 to 3.23 lakh in 2027, moving India from the fifth‑largest to the second‑largest supplier of seafarers worldwide, now accounting for more than 12 % of the global pool. Women sailors grew from 1,599 in 2021 to 7,033 in 2025 under the Sagar Mein Samman programme, and the government aims to lift their share to 20 % by 2030 through Mission 20%. ## Context India now supplies over 12 % of the world’s merchant‑marine workforce, making the safety of its sailors crucial for global trade and for the country’s growing shipbuilding sector.