LUCKNOW: A 26-year-old merchant navy seafarer from Deoria district was killed after cargo vessel MV Cape Dao came under attack off the Oman coast on Wednesday, prompting the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) to call for stronger protection for Indian seafarers operating in conflict-prone waters.Suraj Yadav, a resident of Karmajeet Pur village under Gauri Bazar police station, was working as a wiper aboard the vessel. The eldest of four brothers, he had left India for Oman on Aug 19. His father, Om Prakash Yadav, works in Muscat, while his mother, grandparents and younger brothers live in the village.Around an hour before the attack, Suraj spoke to his family over a video call at around 11am on Wednesday and even showed them the ship on which he was posted. His younger brother, Sunny, said Suraj had sent him Rs 1,000 for food a day earlier and had promised to build a house with an air conditioner when he returned.“He always spoke about improving our family’s future,” Sunny said.His grandfather, Ram Yadav, said, “He went abroad to earn and improve the family’s condition. We had pinned all our hopes on him.”The Indian Embassy in Muscat confirmed the death of an Indian national and said it was coordinating with Omani authorities, the shipping company and the family for repatriation of the body.In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a statement posted on X, the FSUI said MV Cape Dao, which was sailing from Mina Saqr to India, was attacked off Oman and struck twice on its port side — once in the engine room and again on C-Deck. The vessel had 20 Indian crew members among its 28-member crew.The union identified the deceased as Suraj Yadav and said, “He was a civilian seafarer, not a combatant. This death is not justified.”The FSUI also said Indian seafarers had been killed or reported missing in the Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and Black Sea regions. It urged the Centre to ensure repatriation and compensation for the family, establish a 24×7 crisis management mechanism and strengthen protection for Indian merchant ships and their crews.Authorities have not independently confirmed the source of the attack or the weapon used.According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the cargo vessel was struck by an unknown projectile at around 12pm (0630 UTC). The vessel caught fire and was left adrift. All crew members were evacuated, with two deaths confirmed.
