Mystery Strike: Tanker in 'Dark Mode' Hit Near Hormuz, 2 Crew Missing

A major search operation is underway for two missing crew members after the tanker MT El Gaia was struck by a projectile near the volatile Strait of Hormuz over the weekend. The vessel, carrying 25 crew members, 14 Indian and 11 Pakistani nationals, was reportedly operating in "dark mode," with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched off at the time of the incident, making its precise location unknown.

Photos from September 13 reveal significant damage to the tanker's engine room, indicating where the projectile made impact. Tragically, two crew members, Muhammad Hammad Obaida, a Pakistani Third Engineer, and Sumit Kumar Singh, an Indian Oiler, were reportedly on watch in the engine room and have been unaccounted for since the attack.

Obaida had joined the vessel recently on September 7, while Singh, a 20-year-old from Vaishali, had signed on in June.

Following the attack, the Omani Coast Guard swiftly responded, boarding the damaged vessel.

The remaining 23 crew members were safely transferred to an Omani Coast Guard vessel and brought ashore. The crew included a mix of nationalities, with the Master and Chief Engineer being Pakistani nationals, and the Chief Officer, Second Engineer, and others being Indian.

The incident is shrouded in conflicting claims regarding its perpetrator. Iran's IRGC Navy has suggested the tanker struck naval mines while using an "illegal route" south of the strait. However, the United States has disputed this account, asserting that the vessel was hit by a missile and subsequently a drone.

The Indian government has refrained from attributing responsibility for the attack.

The 20-year-old MT El Gaia, with a cargo capacity of 48,000 tonnes, is owned and managed by companies based in Dubai, UAE. Five different recruitment agencies supplied the crew onboard. The focus now remains on the ongoing search operations for the two missing mariners and understanding the full implications of this latest incident in a critical global shipping lane.

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