Bhubaneswar: After remaining stranded for 31 days near the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz while ferrying a fuel vessel amid the war in West Asia, Ashok Kumar Dixit from Odisha, returned home late on Saturday night after navigating what he described as one of the most terrifying experiences of his life.Dixit, a native of Cuttack, serving as the chief officer of the vessel, left home on Feb 24 for Vizag, from where his ship, with 48 crew members, set sail for Qatar. The vessel, carrying LPG and CNG, started its return journey on Feb 27, but got stuck 30 miles from the narrow but strategically vital Hormuz channel, where Dixit and his crew members spent the next 31 days under constant fear of missile fire, air strikes and naval alerts.“We reached the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tension. We received permission to pass through the inland water of Iran on March 29. It was really a tough situation. There was destruction and devastation everywhere,” Dixit said after reuniting with his family at the city airport.The ship reached Chennai port after a week on April 5, and from there he returned to Bhubaneswar on April 11, 36 days after he had left home.Recalling the scale of disruption, the officer said thousands of ships were stranded in the strait as hostilities intensified. “I have seen ships on fire. There were shipwrecks almost everywhere. The movement was restricted due to continuous missile strikes and military warnings,” he said.According to Dixit, the dangers were not abstract. Missiles were landing very close to their vessel, and casualty figures nearby were grim. “My phone would buzz every time a missile hit somewhere nearby. You could feel the shock waves even at sea. Every alert felt like it could be our last,” he said.He added Iran issued repeated warnings, asking ships not to cross the Hormuz channel during the peak conflict, cautioning that any vessel attempting movement could become a potential target. “Those who didn’t listen were attacked,” Dixit said.The officer further said their LPG vessel was placed under Indian Navy’s control during the stand-off, with movement permitted only after clearances from multiple authorities. “Our ship moved only after we got the green signal on March 29,” he said.Even after clearance, the journey out of the strait was far from safe. Dixit said fighter jets flew extremely close to the ship as it passed through the volatile waters. “While bringing the ship out, fighter jets were flying so close that we could clearly see them. It was frightening,” he said.Dixit also recalled that during the passage they had to adjust with food and water. “For non-vegetarians, it was fine, but vegetarians had to adjust with simple ‘dal’. Drinking water was an issue too, but we managed,” he said.His safe return has brought relief to his family and friends. His wife Srutirekha Sahoo said they were in constant fear while her husband was at sea. “We prayed to the lord every day and our prayers have been answered. We thank the people and govt for their constant support,” she said.
