A seafarer has described the terrifying moments when a missile struck the oil tanker MKD Vyom in the Gulf of Oman, killing his friend and crewmate. The attack occurred on 1 March during US and Israeli airstrikes against Iran, marking one of the first fatal incidents on commercial vessels in the region.
The Blast and Escape
Basis, a seafarer who survived the attack, recounted the explosion that tore through the engine room without warning. "There were immense shock waves and a fireball," he said. "For one or two seconds, I was knocked out. Everything went black. The power was gone. I looked up – fire and thick black smoke was pouring down."
Despite the chaos, his training kicked in. In complete darkness, he found the exit and dragged himself to the bridge, nearly suffocating from the smoke. "Twice or three times, I was almost senseless with suffocation. But I thought: 'If I collapse, I will die.' God helped me, I believe, because I do not know how I found the courage."
Aftermath and Rescue Efforts
On deck, an eerie silence engulfed the vessel. The crew soon learned that Dixit Solanki, a 32-year-old oiler from Mumbai, was missing, likely in the engine room where the fire raged. With no mains power, the 21-strong multinational crew fought the flames using fire extinguishers, sand, and buckets of seawater hauled by hand. It took four hours to extinguish the fire, but Solanki was found dead under twisted metal.
"We tried our best to recover his body, for us and for his family," Basis said. However, a second blaze forced the captain to order an abandon ship. "Leaving the vessel, leaving a colleague behind, trapped in the engine room, was unbearable. We used our training and fought the fire. But we felt like we had failed."
Family Grief and Calls for Action
Solanki's father, Amratlal Gokal Solanki, described his son as a "hero" and a "gentleman." He called on governments and shipping companies to better protect crews in conflict zones. "No sailor should have to fear losing their life simply for doing their job," he said.
Meanwhile, the family of Ashish Kumar, captain of the Skylight hit hours earlier, refuses to believe he is dead. His wife, Ansu Kumari, said, "They go abroad to build a future. If something like this happens, families are destroyed. I have full faith that he is trapped somewhere. He will definitely come back."
Wider Crisis in the Strait of Hormuz
Since 1 March, 10 seafarers have been killed in 32 attacks on ships in the region. Approximately 800 vessels, crewed by 20,000 seafarers, remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, unable to escape the geopolitical crisis. Basis, speaking on his own behalf, highlighted their plight: "My fellow seafarers are suffering. They are trapped, worse than prisoners, without communication, with limited food and water."
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has seen a tenfold increase in seafarers needing help, from 200 to 2,000 cases. Mohamed Arrachedi, ITF coordinator, said, "When you are speaking to a 45-year-old man with a family and he is in tears, saying 'my life is in your hands', but you can't promise any solution, it is a difficult situation."
Basis called for international action: "It is now the time for all the member states in the shipping sector to do what they need to do to allow our seafarers to escape the strait of Hormuz. These are the people who kept the global economy going through the pandemic. They are innocent victims."
