A tanker named MT El Gaia was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend. The vessel was reportedly operating in “dark mode”, with its Automatic Identification System turned off and its coordinates unavailable at the time of the attack. Its last port of call was Sohar, Oman. The 20‑year‑old ship, which can carry 48,000 tonnes of cargo, is owned and managed by companies based in Dubai, UAE.
The tanker carried 25 crew members, including 14 Indians and 11 Pakistanis. Two crew members were missing after the incident: Muhammad Hammad Obaida, a third engineer from Karachi, and Sumit Kumar Singh, an oiler from Vaishali. Both had joined the vessel in September and June 2026 respectively, and were on watch in the engine room when the projectile struck.
Photos taken on September 13 show damage to the engine room, indicating that the projectile hit that area. The Omani Coast Guard boarded the ship after the attack, transferred 23 crew members to an Omani vessel, and brought them ashore. The master and chief engineer were Pakistani nationals, while the chief officer, second engineer and other crew members were Indians.
The Indian government has not assigned responsibility for the attack. Iran’s IRGC Navy claims the tanker struck naval mines while using an illegal route south of the strait. The United States disputes that claim, saying the vessel was struck by a missile and later by a drone.
