Oil Tanker attacked by drone in Oman

2026-03-02 - 10:37

Muscat – An oil tanker flying the flag of the Marshall Islands was targeted by a drone boat on Monday, resulting in a fire and the tragic death of a crew member. The vessel, identified as the MKD VYOM, was positioned approximately 52 nautical miles off the coast of the Muscat Governorate while carrying a substantial cargo of nearly 59,463m tonnes. The strike triggered a significant explosion in the primary engine room, which claimed the life of an Indian national serving on board. In an operation coordinated with the Maritime Security Centre, the remaining 21 crew members were successfully evacuated from the stricken vessel. The rescued personnel, consisting of sixteen Indian nationals, four Bangladeshis, and one Ukrainian, were taken aboard the Panamanian-flagged commercial ship MV SAND. Currently, a vessel from the Royal Navy of Oman fleet is monitoring the condition of the damaged tanker while simultaneously issuing safety warnings to other ships navigating through the affected maritime area.