Heramb Karmarkar, a marine engineer from Pune, who went missing after an attack on the merchant vessel ‘GFX Galaxy’ near the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, has passed away, as confirmed by his family on Wednesday. The commercial vessel GFS Galaxy, with Indian nationals onboard, was attacked off the coast of Oman, with the Ministry of External Affairs reporting that 10 Indians were rescued while one person remains missing. Karmarkar’s father-in-law, Vivek Tandon, has verified his death.
Vivek Tandon, speaking to the media, emphasized Karmarkar’s young age of 30 and urged the Government of India to ensure the intact repatriation of his body. India has strongly condemned the attack on the commercial shipping in the region, expressing deep concern over the repeated incidents. The Indian Embassy in Oman is actively engaged in monitoring and coordinating the Search and Rescue operation with Omani authorities.
The US Central Command revealed that the Cyprus-flagged container ship GFS Galaxy was attacked by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in a crew member going missing. The United States, in response, is taking action to prevent Iran from endangering civilian mariners and commercial ships in the region. The incident occurred amidst escalating tensions in the vital Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global energy transportation.
